Dr. Asrar Damdam

Asrar Damdam is a scientist and entrepreneur tackling one of the world's most wasteful problems: the food that spoils before it ever reaches a plate. She holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from KAUST, where her research in food preservation and the Internet of Things became the foundation for Uvera, the company she leads today. As founder and CEO, Asrar has grown Uvera, a deep tech startup on a mission to end food loss and waste, from a breakthrough in shelf-life extension into a complete fresh-food optimization platform that unites UV-C treatment, IoT monitoring, AI shelf-life prediction, and full traceability. The technology keeps food fresh up to 97% longer, in 30 seconds or less, and without any chemicals, while its predictive analytics help supply chains stop waste before it starts. Uvera is now deployed across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with partners spanning grocery retail, agriculture, and quick commerce. Her work has earned the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science, the CES Innovation Award, Forbes 30 Under 30, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, the Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts list, and MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35