Jamilah Yassin Fattani: A Journey in Literature and Administration

The distinguished educator and writer, Jamilah Yassin Fattani, is a journalist, author, and short-story writer whose life began on the sacred grounds of Mecca. She spent her childhood in its holy paths, and later her youth in the esteemed region of Najd. After a period dedicated to her roles as a wife and mother, focusing on the upbringing and education of her children, Jamilah Fattani decided to actively pursue her passion for literature, journalism, and writing articles and stories.

To embark on this journey, she enrolled in the Faculty of Arts at King Saud University, earning a Bachelor's degree in Arabic Language in 1980. Immediately after graduation, she worked as an official editor for Al-Riyadh newspaper, where she contributed several articles and maintained a regular column for two years. Driven by a desire to educate and nurture, Ms. Fattani transitioned to a teaching career, serving as a teacher and mentor of the Arabic language in Riyadh schools for seven years.

Administrative and Advisory Roles
Ms. Fattani’s career path soon led her to administrative roles. She was nominated for a position in the Educational Supervision and Educational Training Department of the Riyadh region. She held this administrative post for seventeen years, spanning from 1993 to 2010.

During this period, she was also selected to serve as a member of the Advisory Board at the General Secretariat of Special Education within the Ministry of Education during the 2004/2005 academic year.

Literary and Media Contributions
Jamilah Yassin Fattani is an active member of several women's scientific and charitable societies and committees. Her notable memberships include:

Member of the Scientific Committee for the Sheikh Mohammed bin Salih Award for Special Education (2004/2005).

Member of the Women’s Committee in the Saudi Association for Communication and Media Sciences.

Consultant for the Teacher’s Mail magazine.

Member of the Educational Forum.

Ms. Fattani has numerous literary and media contributions across the Kingdom, including:

Chairperson of the Media Committee for several educational events at the national level under the Presidency of Girls' Education and the Educational Supervision Department in Riyadh.

Chairperson of the Media Committee for the Fifth Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Festival and the cultural committee of the National Heritage and Culture Festival "Janadriyah 18" in 2003.

Head of the Women's Heritage Committee at the National Heritage and Culture Festival from "Janadriyah 18" (2003) to "Janadriyah 20."

Involvement in the Third and Fifth National Dialogue and the First and Second Media Forum of the National Dialogue.

She has also conducted literary storytelling evenings, including at the Umm Al-Qura Festival in Mecca (2003), the Janadriyah 18 Heritage Tent (2003), the literary salon of Sultana Al-Sudairi (2003), the Abha Tourism Festival (2004), and the Al-Faisal International Academy (2005). Furthermore, Ms. Fattani hosted literary evenings at the Fourth and Fifth Madinah Festivals, the Culture and Arts Society, the Ministry of Education’s celebration of Riyadh as the Capital of Culture, and the First Unayzah Cultural Festival.

Publications and Recognition
Her published works include her short story collection, "Triumph Over the Impossible", published by the Taif Literary Club in 1990, along with other stories and articles published in local newspapers and periodicals.

Her stories have been translated into English in a book published by King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah in collaboration with an American university, which focused on the study of Saudi women's literature.

Ms. Fattani is cited in the following biographical dictionaries:

Asbar Dictionary of Saudi Women.

Dictionary of Prominent Women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Gharid Al Sheikh Mohammed).

Dictionary of Biographies of Celebrities of the Arabian Peninsula from 700 AH to 1400 AH (c. 1300–1980 AD) (Abdulkarim Al-Haqil).

Dictionary of Saudi Poets (Abdulkarim Al-Haqil).

Dictionary of Saudi Women Writers (Abdulkarim Al-Haqil).

Collection of Saudi Women Poets (Sarah Al-Azuri).

She has been honored with 25 certificates of appreciation and 10 shields from official governmental and private entities for her contributions, most notably a certificate of appreciation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Her organizational contributions extend to cultural festivals, including the Janadriyah, Madinah, Mecca, and Abha Cultural Festivals. She also won First Place in the poetry category of the King Saud University Cultural Competition for female students in 1980.

Professional Development and Conferences
Ms. Fattani has actively participated in numerous seminars and training courses covering a wide range of fields, including education (teaching, training, special education, and kindergarten), human relations, media, computer science, civil defense, anti-drug awareness, art therapy, and the English language.

She has maintained a prominent presence at over 30 diverse local and international scientific, educational, professional conferences, and forums, including the Arab Thought Dialogue.