Antimicrobial StewardshipAwareness Conference

Prof. Manaf M. Alqahtani is an internationally credentialed Infectious Diseases physician, Clinical Microbiologist, and military health leader with over 30 years of structured service in clinical medicine, laboratory governance, academic leadership, and national public health policy. Dual North American board-certified in Internal Medicine (FRCPC; DABIM) and Infectious Diseases (ABIM-ID), he completed his training at Ireland’s Royal College of Surgeons and the University of Toronto. Since May 2026, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Gulf Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Gulf CDC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, providing regional public health leadership across the GCC.

Across the Royal Medical Services (RMS) hospital network — Military Hospital (MH), King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH), Bahrain Oncology Centre (BOC) and The Mohammed Bin Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Specialist Cardiac Centre (MKCC) — he chairs Infectious Diseases services and led the unification of laboratory, pharmacy and infection-control systems across four institutions. As Full Clinical Professor and Founding Head of the Microbiology Department at RCSI-MUB, and Programme Director of the SCFHS-accredited Adult Infectious Diseases Fellowship, he leads infectious diseases academic training in Bahrain. His scholarly record includes 65 total publications (61 peer-reviewed papers and 4 WHO guideline publications), including 49 papers that directly shaped Bahrain’s national COVID-19 policy, with work in JAMA, Scientific Reports, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, and the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. He is an Editor at the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and BMC Infectious Diseases, a WHO guideline developer, and a twice-decorated Royal Medal laureate of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. His portfolio spans HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and vaccine-preventable disease control, alongside active membership on two WHO technical advisory bodies (GDG; RITAG)

Professor Muhammad Abdulrahman Halwani is a distinguished academic who has made significant contributions to the field of hospital infection control and microbiology. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Hospital Infection Control & Microbiology from the University of Nottingham, Faculty of Medicine, United Kingdom, where he was recognized as the first Saudi national to obtain this degree in infection control. Following the completion of his PhD, Professor Halwani worked as a fellow with the infection control team at the University Hospital of Nottingham, a 1,500 bed tertiary hospital, further advancing his expertise.

Prof. Halwani also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and the School of Medicine in Maryland, USA. In addition, he holds a Master’s degree in Medical Microbiology from the University of Wales College of Medicine, UK, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Laboratory Sciences (Medical Microbiology), Ireland, as well as a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, UK. Furthermore, he holds a Professional Diploma in Tropical Diseases from the London School of Hygiene, United Kingdom.

Alongside his academic role as a professor at Al Baha University Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Halwani serves as an Infection Control Consultant at Al Hada Military Hospital and is the Deputy Regional Director of Infection Control Management for Taif Military Hospitals. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Nottingham from 2011 to the present.

Prof. Halwani’s extensive academic background and practical experience enable him to serve as a senior certified hospital surveyor and mentor in infection control for the Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI). His meaningful contributions to hospital infection control and epidemiology have resulted in the publication of more than 64 papers in high impact scientific journals, establishing him as a highly respected leader in his field.

Professor Dr. Wadha Alfouzan is currently a Professor at College of Medicine, Kuwait University, and previously served as Acting Dean of the College of Public Health. She is a Senior Consultant Microbiologist and currently serves as Chief Clinical Support Officer at Al-Salem Hospitals.

With over two decades of experience, she has built a distinguished career, including her tenure as Head of Laboratory Medicine at Farwaniya Hospital.

Dr. Alfouzan holds a Fellowship from the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) and a Master's degree in Medical Mycology from University College London.

Her research primarily focuses on multidrug-resistant organisms, Candida infections, and healthcare-associated infections.

Her significant contributions to the field have earned her numerous prestigious accolades, including the KFAS Jaber Al Ahmad young research award and the Hamdan bin Rashid Award. She has authored more than 100 scientific publications.

Dr. Ahmad Taqi is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, and President of the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association.

He holds a PharmD from MCPHS University, USA, and an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Strathclyde, UK. He completed his pharmacy residency training and Infectious Diseases fellowship at leading hospitals in Boston, USA.

Dr. Taqi is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and Infectious Diseases Pharmacist (BCIDP). His research interests include antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial resistance, and the advancement of pharmaceutical practice.