Saudi nanochemist Najlaa Al-Radadi's achievements draw attention amid online niqab debate

Najlaa Al-Radadi is a Saudi chemist at Taibah University in Madinah. Her research includes the green synthesis of nanoparticles and laboratory studies of their effects on cancer cells. A LinkedIn profile bearing her name features an image of a woman in a black niqab. Social media users have circulated her academic achievements as part of an online debate over the garment, but the biographical sources reviewed do not independently establish that the image shows Al-Radadi herself. No photograph of her is reproduced in this article.

Her work

She holds a master's and a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. Her published research includes the green synthesis of platinum, gold and silver nanoparticles using plant extracts. Some studies have investigated their effects on cultured cancer cells or bacteria, including work involving platinum nanoparticles made with extracts of Saudi dates. These are laboratory studies and do not establish a treatment for patients. She holds several patents, including a 2017 Saudi patent concerning platinum nanoparticles synthesised with date extract and investigated for their effects on cancer cells.

Recognition

• Stanford/Elsevier ranking. According to Saudipedia, she has appeared in the Stanford/Elsevier database of highly cited researchers. Her ORCID profile describes her as among the world's top 2 percent of scientists from 2022 onward. Saudi outlets differ on the number of consecutive years, which this article does not attempt to resolve.
• Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman Award for Women's Excellence in Natural Sciences, 2023.
• National Center for Palms and Dates International Award, best scientific research category, 2024. A social media account also described her as the first Saudi woman to receive it; that has not been independently established.
• Sayidaty Award for Excellence and Creativity, Medicine and Science category. Reports differ on the year.
• Innovation and Excellence Medal from the World Knowledge Exchange Organization, awarded at a conference in Dubai on 13 November 2017.

Why it is being shared now

An online campaign using hashtags such as "2030 Without Niqab" has circulated since late September, as Al Bawaba reported. Some posts called for women to stop wearing the face veil. On 9 and 10 October, several accounts on X shared Al-Radadi's achievements in response, in Arabic, Urdu and English. These posts are advocacy, not reporting. The biographical and awards coverage reviewed for this article does not mention whether she wears the niqab.

What this does and does not show

Al-Radadi's documented career shows substantial scientific research and recognition. Her achievements have been invoked in an online discussion about the niqab, but they do not establish broader conclusions about women who wear it, and they should not be read as an argument about the religious ruling. This site takes no position on what the campaign says about Saudi women in general.

Sources. Saudipedia, "Najlaa al-Radadi" · ORCID profile of Najlaa S. Al-Radadi · LinkedIn profile bearing her name, Taibah University · Al Bawaba on the "2030 Without Niqab" campaign · Posts on X, 9 to 10 October 2026

As of 11 October 2026.