8 Notable alumni of Sana’a University
Updated: June 10, 2026 EliteDegrees
Sana’a University is ranked #5,243 in the world and #1 in Yemen by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 8 notable alumni from Sana’a University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Sana’a University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Jalal al-Ruwaishan
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
military officer
Jalal Ali bin Ali Al-Rowaishan is the former interior minister of the internationally recognised Yemeni government from 9 November 2014 to 2015. In October 2016, he was said to be killed by an airstrike by Saudi warplanes but the Houthis did not say whether Rowaishan was in the building at the time of the attack.
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2. Safa Karman
1987-. (aged 39)
journalist
Safa Karman is an investigative journalist, a political commentator, and a researcher. She earned her Master in Laws degree from Harvard Law School in May 2018, marking the first degree ever awarded by Harvard Law to a Yemeni citizen.
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3. Razia Al-Mutawakil
1976-. (aged 50)
human rights defender
Radhya Al-Mutawakel is a human rights defender and the Yemeni co-founder and chairperson of Mwatana Organisation For Human Rights, an independent organisation working to defend and protect human rights in Yemen. Al-Mutawakel and Mwatana's recent work has focused on documenting alleged human rights abuses by all parties to the current conflict in Yemen, including by the United States, the Saudi-led...
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4. Rashad al-Alimi
1954-. (aged 72)
writer
politician
Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi is a Yemeni politician, and the president of the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022.
5. Saleh as-Sammad
1979-2018 (aged 39)
teacher
politician
Saleh Ali al-Sammad was a Yemeni political figure from the Houthi movement who served as the chairman of Yemen's Supreme Political Council and the de facto president of Yemen until his assassination by a Saudi air strike.
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6. Sultan Bin Ali Al-Aradah
1958-. (aged 68)
politician
military officer
Sultan Ali Al-Aradah is a Yemeni politician and general who has served as one of the 8 members of the Presidential Leadership Council since 2022. The PLC is the internationally recognized executive of Yemen. Aradah concurrently serves as the governor of Marib Governorate, having held that role since 2012.
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7. Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi
1959-. (aged 67)
senior advisor
Abdulmalik Abduljalil Al-Mekhlafi is a former advisor to the president of the Republic of Yemen. He formerly served as deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
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8. Tawakkol Karman
1979-. (aged 47)
human rights defender
peace activist
journalist
politician
Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Khalid Karman is a Yemeni journalist, politician, and human rights activist. She co-founded and leads 'Women Journalists Without Chains', a group established in 2005 to advocate for press freedom and human rights. She became the international public face of the 2011 Yemeni uprising that was part of the Arab Spring movement. She was often referred as the 'Iron...
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