An Incredible Adventure
On Friday, I will embark on an incredible adventure. Earlier this year, I was invited by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Food and Drugs Authority to speak at their 3rd Annual Conference. The topic is Patient Engagement and I will be the first speaker in a session focused on patient policy. To say I am excited is an understatement. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I cannot wait to experience. On Friday, I am going to fly higher and farther than I ever have before.
The last few weeks have been a blur of preparation. Being a woman, I must conform to specific requirements of dress code and behavior. My neighbors in back home are from the middle east. The wife is Syrian, and her husband is from Saudi Arabia. They welcomed me in their home and offered me the most delicious coffee from Kuwait. The wife told me about travelling in Saudi Arabia and what to expect. She then gave me the most beautiful Abaya to wear. An Abaya is the robe women wear to stay covered in public. The Abaya she gave me is black with beaded details on the sleeves and bodice that sparkle in the light. She showed me how to wear a hijab and what kind of clothes to have with me. She assured me I could wear make-up and high heels.
Did you know that the weekend days in Saudi Arabia are Thursday and Friday? The public sector employees work from 7:30am – 2:30pm. It will be very hot, but everywhere inside has air conditioning. My neighbor said it can be very cold in the buildings, to be prepared to stay warm. Good to know! I will always have a warm wrap with me just in case.
I won’t just be speaking at the conference either. I asked and was granted by invitation to meet with regulators at the Saudi Food and Drugs Authority. I am looking forward to talking with them about patient-focused policy and other regulatory initiatives they are enacting in the Kingdom. Can you imagine having the opportunity to meet with regulators from such a different place to discuss our common passion of including patients in the medical product regulatory process? I can’t express how much gratitude I have for being the one they called to join them.
In a time when where so many of us are divided across cultural and political lines, I cannot wait to join my Saudi FDA colleagues in a thoughtful discussion about patients and the regulatory policies we need to make sure the patient voice is heard around the world.