Safa Al Ahmad

"Safa Al Ahmad is a Saudi journalist and filmmaker who has directed documentaries for PBS and the BBC focusing on uprisings in the Middle East. Her film Saudi’s Secret Uprising was the first documentary of its kind to document the historically unprecedented protests in the kingdom. An investigation that took over a year to make. Her work on Yemen spans almost a decade and reflects the bloody trajectory of the conflicts within the country and their international impact. Her film Yemen Under Siege, which took a close-up look at the staggering human toll of the conflict in Yemen, took home two Emmy Awards in 2017. She is also the winner of the 2015 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award for Journalism, the El Mundo award for journalism for her body of work in 2015, the 2015 Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) International Press Freedom Award and the Association of International Broadcasting (AIB) Best International Investigation for her film Saudi's Secret Uprising in 2014. She is also the recipient of the Wallenberg Medal from the University of Michigan for 2019. Safa was a board member of the Frontline Freelance Register (2019), and advocates for the safety and welfare of freelance journalists who are exposed to risk in their work.’ She is currently the acting director at ALQST for human rights."