A childhood spark lights the way to clean energy

AT eleven, Eng. Maryam Ahmed Yousuf al Nofli built a model house for a school project, with an electric circuit that lit a lamp and turned a small fan. It was named the school’s best project and kept as a teaching model. Years later came a bigger question: “Is solar energy a practical option for producing electricity in Oman, or just a beautiful idea on paper?”

It became her master’s thesis in Sustainable Energy Engineering at the University of Glasgow, prompted by the sector’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Using simulation software, she analysed a grid-connected photovoltaic system in the Wilayat of Sohar and found solar energy technically and economically promising, with costs recoverable within a few years. Today, Al Nofli is Head of the Department of Continuing Education and Community Service at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Musandam. Her path echoes this year’s Omani Women’s Day energy theme, “Women: A National Energy”.

The spark came from home, where her parents instilled a love of learning and excellence, while cultural and creative activities alongside her studies built her self-confidence. Family support, she believes, is a cornerstone of success, but no substitute for hard work and perseverance. At Brunel University London, where she earned an honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, a professor steered her towards sustainable energy, one of the world’s most promising sectors.

The thesis was her turning point. “The most important impact was not the result alone. It was the doors it opened: scientific research, research grants, specialised renewable energy projects, and the start of my journey writing about energy and sustainability.” Today she writes for both local and international newspapers, in Arabic and English. It was also her hardest test. Covid-19 forced her home from the UK before she could finish in the usual way, as libraries closed and some data fell out of reach. Rather than see the obstacle as the end of the road, she found alternatives and worked remotely with her supervisors and fellow researchers to complete it. “The experience taught me that success does not depend on ideal conditions, but on the ability to keep going, to adapt and to believe in the goal,” she says.

She sees a promising future for sustainable energy in Oman, resting not only on natural resources but on a clear vision for diversification that combines investment, research, innovation and national talent. Green hydrogen, she says, “is a strategic opportunity, but its success requires a balance between expanding projects and investing in knowledge and technology transfer. The real success will be when we see it diversify the economy and enable Omani talent to lead the future of energy.” To students, she recommends electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, data science and systems engineering, because energy needs minds that read environmental and economic dimensions together.

Women’s progress in engineering makes her proud. “When I began my studies, women’s presence in these fields was not what it is today. Now Omani women are researchers, engineers, leaders and decision-makers. I know the value of empowerment because I lived it.” That belief came full circle when a graduating student said she had chosen power engineering because of her and promised to become an influential engineer herself. “A word of encouragement, or a role model close at hand, can change a student’s path completely, as it did mine,” she says.

As Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering in Oman and a Senior Member of IEEE, she creates opportunities to build the confidence and skills of female students and young people, and has been invited to the IEEE Oman leadership training programme, the Cython cybersecurity marathon and the international ICSETS conference, which she sees as evidence that Omani women are at the forefront of engineering and technology. Her idea of leadership has changed too. “At first I thought leadership was about positions. Today I see it as the ability to make a positive difference in other people’s lives and help them reach their potential. Real success is not measured by what we achieve for ourselves, but by a new generation of Omani talent that turns knowledge into solutions that serve the nation.”

Next, she hopes to bring AI into energy, expand practical applied research and join national initiatives with lasting impact. Her advice to girls starts, like her story, with a small step. “Do not let anyone set the ceiling of your dreams. Start from where you are today, invest in knowledge, and do not fear challenge or failure, for every experience carries a lesson. Great achievements often begin with a small step and a great deal of faith in yourself.” For the girl who once lit a lamp in a model house, the conviction is simple: “If Omani women are given the opportunity, there is no limit to their creativity.”