How curiosity led a Saudi teenager to an award-winning waste innovation

Jeddah — When Nelly Almaktoum, a 16-year-old Saudi teenager, observed a public waste bin, she pondered how technology could make waste management smarter and more sustainable. This simple curiosity blossomed into Aykah, a smart waste management prototype that combines IoT technology, solar power, air filtration, and real-time monitoring. This innovation has earned Almaktoum international acclaim before she even started her higher education.

Despite her success, Almaktoum attributes her achievements to discipline and persistence. She emphasizes that talent does not start with innate abilities, but with a mindset that drives continuous learning and improvement. Growing up as part of the Mawhiba program, a national initiative in Saudi Arabia for identifying and nurturing gifted young talent, Almaktoum learned the value of hard work from her mother, who instilled in her the importance of determination and self-reliance.

To develop Aykah, Almaktoum conducted extensive research, administering surveys to 222 residents of Jeddah to understand their views on waste management and whether they would utilize the proposed technology. Her goal was to ensure that each component of Aykah addressed a genuine problem and was user-friendly. The prototype incorporates Raspberry Pi and Arduino systems interfaced with ultrasonic sensors to gauge bin fill levels, LED indicators for monitoring, a filtration system for air purification, bilingual instructions for accessibility, and solar-powered operation to minimize environmental impact.

Despite receiving prestigious awards from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the National Center of Meteorology, Almaktoum remains grounded in her belief that her work should solve practical problems, not just for recognition. She acknowledges the challenges she faced, including imposter syndrome, but refuses to let self-doubt hinder her ambitions.

Almaktoum's journey began with a single idea and a relentless pursuit of answers to pressing questions, ultimately leading her to pursue a degree in Computing and Information Technology at King Abdulaziz University, where she aims to further her research into the intersection of artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability.