Conquering Deep Tech from Saudi's Eastern Province | The Next Big Thing - Dhahran

📍What happens when you choose to conquer deep tech in Saudi Arabia? In this first episode of The Next Big Thing - Dhahran, we sit down with Srrah Algheithy, co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, a hardware and product development company based in Dhahran. She shares how she went to study electrical engineering abroad, to building solar-powered cars and racing them across the Australian desert, managing data centers at Saudi Aramco, and co-founding a deep tech company. This episode is hosted by Rawan Nasser, a multimedia reporter from the Eastern Province itself. This is the untold story of building real technology in Dhahran — not the buzzword kind, but the kind that solves physical problems and redefines what’s possible in a region built on oil. You’ll learn: ► Why Srrah chose electrical engineering in a family of academics ► Lessons from building solar-powered race cars ► How studying abroad built resilience ► Managing data centers at Aramco ► Leaving safety to join a hard tech development company as a co-founder ► Redefining what "sustainable" means ► The mindset needed to build deep tech in the Gulf This conversation is a reminder that big things start quietly — and sometimes in places no one’s watching. ______ ► Srrah Algheithy – CEO of Sustainable Innovations   / salgheithy     / sinnovsa   ► Rawan Nasser – Multimedia Reporter   / rawan-nasser   In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley   / dhahran-techno-valley-dtvc-   ______ Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:50 – Passion for Taking on Challenges 03:07 – Being a Woman in Engineering 04:15 – How Studying Abroad Shaped Her 05:27 – Srrah’s Career at Saudi Aramco 07:24 – Joining Sustainable Innovations as Co-founder 09:30 – Competing at the Australian Solar Car Race 12:27 – The Importance of Owning Your Technology 14:36 – Becoming the CEO of Sustainable Innovations 15:39 – The Challenges of Time Management 16:50 – Redefining What “Sustainable” Means 17:50 – Innovating with the Market in Mind 19:40 – Unique Challenges of Deep Tech 21:05 – Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur 22:35 – The Importance of Building Deep Tech 23:59 – The Status Quo of Deep Tech in Saudi Arabia 25:25 – Why Dhahran Is the Right Place for Deep Tech 27:45 – How Dhahran Techno Valley Is Enabling Innovation 29:55 – Challenges for Founders in Saudi Arabia 31:54 – Comparing the Saudi Ecosystem Globally 33:06 – What the Saudi Ecosystem Still Needs 34:55 – How the Saudi Ecosystem Is Evolving 37:02 – Advice for New Founders 38:55 – What’s Next for Sustainable Innovations ______ Follow for more inspiring founder stories. 📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel:    / @thenextbigthing_media   📍Instagram:   / thenextbigthing_media   📍 Linkedin:   / nextbigthing-media   📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EfovpJ... 📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...