Arab Innovators Rise to the Challenge, Elevating Scientific Practice on QF’s Stars of Science

Across the world, challenges have always been catalysts for innovation. In the Arab region, Stars of Science has quietly forged something extraordinary: a generation of innovators who turned setbacks into stepping stones. This perseverance isn’t just part of the show’s legacy, it’s the heartbeat of Season 17.

The Qatar Foundation edutainment show is raising the bar once again. This year’s contestants aren’t just building from scratch - they’re attempting something uniquely challenging: refining what already exists. That kind of progress requires more than creativity. It demands precision, patience, and above all, targeted optimization.

Among the standout projects currently in the running is Razan Salem Bahabri’s adaptive rehabilitation gaming system, and Mohamed Kahna’s AR-assisted surgical navigation tool. Both push the boundaries of existing methods, and both are driven by a clear understanding of the real-world problems they aim to solve.

"To improve what already works, you need more than invention, you need endurance," says Bahabri, a contestant from Saudi Arabia.

Her approach is timely. Globally, there are 12.2 million new strokes each year, and rehabilitation centers now incorporate gamified therapy tools to support recovery, a field she is helping localize and adapt. Her project builds on those successes, offering a more engaging and accessible way to support neuroplasticity and user motivation in stroke rehabilitation.

“When lives are at stake, you don’t start from scratch, you make what’s working even safer,” says Kahna, her fellow Season 17 contestant.

For Kahna, the stakes are high. Each year, more than 310 million major surgeries are performed around the world. The Tunisian’s project seeks to improve outcomes by using augmented reality to support surgical decision-making, potentially helping surgeons avoid complications and act with greater clarity under pressure.

As these innovators work to realize their vision, Stars of Science continues to be backed by an ecosystem that believes in purpose-driven technology. As the region’s leading hub for deep tech and impact, Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation, ensure that Stars of Science innovations don’t stop at the prototype stage. Through mentorship, access to state-of-the-art labs, and investor connections, QSTP helps contestants, like Season 16 winner, Yaman Tayyar, transform their ideas into viable startups that create global impact.

Another shining example of resilience with long-haul success, when show alumnus, long-standing mentor and now co-host, Anwar Almojarkesh, joined Stars of Science in Season 5, he finished in fifth place. But his story didn’t conclude there, it just began. Driven by advanced engineering, Almojarkesh developed a smart assistive pillow for the hearing impaired that detects emergencies such as fire alarms, alerting users through vibration, light, scent, and app notifications.

After the show, he took the core of his invention and founded two companies — Innovation Factory in the UK and Sound Genetics in the US — bringing AI-powered technologies to governments, transport authorities, and healthcare providers worldwide.

"You don’t have to win the show to win in life. The real success comes with the determination to keep achieving, after the spotlight fades," says Almojarkesh.

Among his flagship projects is the Wildlife Animal Deterrence System (WADS), preventing deer strikes and saving millions in damages on British and Irish rail systems. His companies have also developed real-time graffiti detection tools, cutting-edge voice authentication and deepfake detection technologies.

"I just kept refining my models and each product’s algorithms kept developing," says Almojarkesh. The inventor is living proof that Stars of Science doesn’t just launch prototypes - it launches careers with global impact.

With alumni like Anwar setting the bar high, this year’s contestants have a lot to live up to. If history is any guide, with vision and perseverance this season’s innovators will be ready to make headlines of their own.

Follow the contestants’ journeys, as they strive forward in realizing their inventions, by visiting the Stars of Science website and keeping up to date with broadcasts every week until October 2025.

About Stars of Science:

Throughout 17 years of success, Stars of Science – the edutainment TV initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF) – has leveraged its position as the premier innovation show in the Arab world to empower Arab innovators to successfully transform innovative ideas into tangible solutions, strengthening the culture of innovation among Arab youth. In its sustained journey that started in 2009, the show has demonstrated how young Arab innovators develop technological solutions for their communities, aiming to improve people’s well-being, provide financial opportunities to their local citizens, and advance sustainable development.

Over a 12-week process, the contestants develop their solutions experimentally in a shared innovation space, competing against time with the mentorship and support of a team of experienced engineers and product developers.

An expert panel of jurors assesses and selects more promising innovators and their projects every week across several prototyping and testing rounds until three finalists remain to compete for a share of the Grand Prize. Jury deliberation and online voting from the public determine the rankings of the two top winners.

To know more about Stars of Science, please visit: Website, Facebook, X, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn.