Noora Al-Henzab

Noora Ali Jaber Al-Henzab is the founder of Noon International Academy and Al-Henzab Centre for the Holy Qur’an and its Sciences, and Qatar and Gulf representative of the International Women’s Coalition for Jerusalem and Palestine.

She was born in 1959 into a family of seven children. Her mother, despite having no formal education beyond learning the Qur’an, embodied patience, diligence, tolerance, forgiveness and generosity. She devoted her life to educating her children and took them to the local mutawa for instruction, inspiring them to excel. Her daughter became the first member of the family to gain both a secondary-school certificate and a doctorate.

From an early age, she observed people and events closely, reflected on their meaning and analysed reactions. She imitated the positive conduct she encountered, avoided harmful behaviour and made self-education and personal development a continuing practice.

Books provided both pleasure and refuge. Her reading centred especially on Qur’anic and Islamic literature, including publications from Egypt and Lebanese libraries, and she followed weekly and monthly magazines and collected volumes.

At Al Markhiya School, which felt like a family school because of its close connection with her mother’s relatives, she outpaced her classmates. After joining fourth- and fifth-year pupils in one room, a teacher recognised that she could match the older group, tested her at fourth-year level and advanced her to the fifth year in the same academic year.

The Qur’an was a companion from childhood. She memorised its verses, sought to apply its principles in daily life and entered school competitions with the encouragement of the mother who had cultivated that commitment.

After completing secondary school in 1976 with a result above eighty per cent, she entered Qatar University to study biology and chemistry and graduated in 1981 with a very good degree. Dean Dr Fathi Saud recognised her ability and selected her with several colleagues for postgraduate study in Egypt. Although she had married during her second university year and carried family responsibilities, her husband supported the decision. She completed a master’s degree at Ain Shams University in 1989 and a doctorate in 1997.

Her work developed along three broad lines, each intended to affect people’s lives, upbringing and direction. An academic and educational career of more than twenty years placed her in a mentoring role with students. It culminated in the establishment of Noon International Academy in 2017–18 as an institution that respects different cultures while affirming Arabic and Islamic culture. An inquiry-based approach was designed to develop persistent, creative and self-motivated pupils able to solve problems, work with others and respect difference.

In 2003, she founded Al-Henzab Centre for the Holy Qur’an and its Sciences. The centre teaches the Qur’an and Islamic culture, reinforces Islamic values, promotes Arabic and complements the work of government institutions.

Community service included contributions through the Social Development House and participation in Qatari, Arab and Gulf conferences and workshops. Among them were the Second World Conference on the Role of Women in Cultural, Social and Economic Development in Kuwait in May 2004; a Doha conference for governmental and non-governmental organisations of Islamic Conference member states in March 2004; and a September 2002 conference on planning, prevention and response to environmental-security disasters in the Gulf, supervised by the Qatar Armed Forces General Command and United States Central Command. She also chaired the 2002 national symposium presenting a field survey of working-age Qatari women, employment and unemployment, and the organising committee for the first educational forum, ‘My Mother… My Teacher… I Am Among You’, in 1998. International participation included the 2008 World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists in Turkey.

Training programmes she delivered included ‘Distinguished Service and Building Employment Opportunities’ in September 2000, a 2001 course on developing plans and work programmes with the Institute of Administrative Development, and ‘When the Teacher Innovates… the Nation Innovates’ for Future Generation for Administrative and Financial Consultancy and Training.

Further courses addressed supervisory and administrative skills under the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs; media engagement with Al Jazeera Training and Development in 2010; organisational globalisation with the Qatar International Office to Support Civil Society Organisations; and accredited strategic leadership and institutional capacity-building in 2014 with the KIM Centre for Administrative and Accounting Expertise.

She regarded these varied contributions as modest beside the opportunities, security and environment for development that Qatar had provided. Service to country and faith therefore remained the unifying purpose behind her academic, educational and voluntary work.

Writing extended that service into culture. She published articles in local newspapers on political and social events and wrote two books: ‘Ink of Thought’ and ‘Fragments and a Story’, issued by Dar Al-Watad. The latter brought together feelings, sayings and actions intended to reinforce positive values, stir reflection and encourage useful action.

Her six children received the largest share of her attention. Guiding them towards success remained a central source of happiness and pride.

Balancing family, children, work and study was the most persistent challenge. She married during her second university year and had all her children while pursuing education and qualifications. Postgraduate travel to Egypt was especially difficult, but support from her husband, family and country enabled her to complete it.

Her efforts received recognition in Qatar and abroad. Honours came from Qatar Charity and the Umm Al-Mu’minin Association in Ajman for distinguished community service, as well as Arab Gulf Week for Voluntary Work. She received Qatar’s National Award for Voluntary Work in the projects category in 2005 for the National Charitable Unit for kidney-failure patients and in the individuals category in 2008; the Pioneer of Social Work Award in Jeddah in 2010; the Kuwait Ideal Family Association award under the patronage of Sheikha Fariha Ahmad Al-Sabah; the Medal of Mercy from the Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services, RAF, in 2017; and the Social Responsibility and Distinguished Personality award in 2018.