Professor Suad Al-Karib Was The First Sudanese Woman To Attain The Rank Of Major General In The Armed Forces In 2018, Af

Port Sudan (Sudanow) - Sudanese women have excelled and distinguished themselves compared to their counterparts in the Arab world and Africa. They were the first to join the judiciary and parliament, pilot and drive cars, and coach football. Sudanese women were also the first to rise to the rank of general in the police force. In the Sudanese armed forces, the pioneering figure was Major General Dr. Suad Yousif Abdullah Karib, the first Sudanese woman to attain the rank of general in Sudan and the Arab world.

About this great achievement, Sudanow spoke with writer and author Osama Al Jazouli, a specialist in documenting Sudanese achievements, who said: Suad Karib was influenced by her upbringing among four male siblings and saw herself as strong from a young age. Her environment, both at home and in school, supported her interests. In addition to being a girl among four boys, she started her education with boys in the early primary stages. She owned a strong will, and when her father bought a bicycle for her older brother, she insisted that he buys her one too, which she used to ride to school. As the only girl among boys during her studies, the school principal paid special attention to her. Excellence and brilliance began to shine in Suad from an early age, as she engaged in challenges and competitions with boys, such as tug-of-war, bicycle racing, and horse riding. She also participated in school bicycle competitions.

What we mentioned earlier wasn't the only thing that distinguished Suad Karib. She stood out among her peers as the first woman to attain the rank of general. She also gained the trust of the presidency as the first pharmacist to hold the position of State Minister at the Ministry of Health.

Al-Karib's entry into the armed forces was largely a matter of chance. She was married to an army officer who held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at the time, which sparked her desire to join the military. Her presence within a military zone and her affiliation with the military sector played a role as well, particularly during the period when the idea of establishing a pharmaceutical factory within the armed forces was being considered.

Suad got married while she was still a high school student in her third year. Her marriage was conditional on her continuing her education, in line with both her own wishes and those of her father, who highly valued education. At the time, Sudanese society prioritized educating boys over girls. Suad's upbringing in a simple rural environment also influenced her life her father worked as a field inspector in the Gezira Scheme. She began her education in the Al-Lawta area in northern Gezira State, where girls' schools were rare or nonexistent. As a result, she initially studied in boys' schools, completing the first and second grades there.

Later, her father was transferred, as part of a routine rotation in the Gezira Scheme, to the Al-Ramitab area in southern Gezira, where a girls' school was available. She completed her primary education there, but only after much struggle and persuasion from her father, as she had initially refused to attend a girls' school. At the end of primary school, the education system underwent a structural change, and she joined the newly introduced general secondary level at Al-Housh School, becoming part of the first sixth-grade cohort under the new system.

According to Professor Al-Jazouli, Major General (Pharmacist) Dr. Suad Yousif Abdullah Al-Karib was the first Sudanese woman to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the Armed Forces before advancing to the rank of Major General. She later transitioned to professional ministerial duties in the same field, pharmaceutical industries, within the Ministry of Health, as part of a strategic plan to support national industry and achieve pharmaceutical security and self-sufficiency.

She is also considered the first Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Karari University, serving as the founding Dean. Additionally, she was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in her field, specializing in Medical Services Management.
She received her primary education between the villages of Al-Lawta and Al-Rumaita in Gezira State, and her secondary education at Al-Hosh Girls' School, followed by Wad Medani High Secondary School for Girls.

She graduated from the University of Khartoum, Faculty of Pharmacy, with honors, as part of the 15th batch of students. She joined the armed forces during her fifth year at university. She completed all theoretical and technical interviews and then underwent military training after graduating in January 1983, as part of the 6th batch of technical personnel in the Medical Corps (Medical Services Administration of the Armed Forces).

The year 1983 was significant, marked by her taking the Hippocratic Oath for medical professionals on January 7th and her allegiance to the armed forces on October 25th, earning her permanent clearance. She was part of the first batch selected to work at the Wafararma laboratories and pharmacies of the armed forces.

She obtained her Master's degree in Pharmaceutics in October 1997 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Khartoum.

She later earned her Ph.D. with distinction in Pharmaceutical Industrial Technology in 2006, also from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Khartoum.

Dr. Al-Karib received several training courses in the field and worked in various departments of Wafra Pharma Laboratories, including Quality Control and Production Management. She later served as Technical Director, Deputy General Manager, and eventually General Manager of Wafra Pharma in 2007. She was the first to implement and execute the ISO Quality Management System (QMS) for pharmaceutical manufacturing in the Armed Forces' factory.

After earning her Ph.D. she worked as a lecturer in the Faculties of Pharmacy at Ahfad University, Al-Ribat University, and Nilein University. She then served as the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Karari University, a position she still holds. She has several patents, including several for the use of gum arabic in pharmaceutical industries.

Regarding her entry into the military, Al-Karib began the screening and training process to join the Armed Forces in January 1983. She was officially commissioned as an officer in October of the same year, graduating at the top of her class from the Military Academy after completing military training and studying administration and military law.

She was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2007. In 2018, she received an award from the Medical Services Directorate in recognition of her pioneering role in the field. That same year, she was promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed as Minister of State at the Ministry of Health. In 2019, she went on to serve as Federal Minister at the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development.

Dr. Suad Al-Karib is one of the closest people to the pharmaceutical field and has a deep understanding of its challenges. With over 35 years of experience, she is a seasoned expert. She is a member of the Scientific Association of Deans of Arab Faculties of Pharmacy and has actively participated in meetings both domestically and internationally. She maintains close ties with the pharmaceutical community and is recognized as an expert in pharmaceutical forums. Dr. Al-Karib also has a prominent role in the Pharmacists' Union.

She has successfully balanced her professional and personal life، one of her sons is a pharmacist active in the Pharmacists' Union, while another works in the field of engineering. Dr. Suad also contributed to the establishment of Karary University and holds extensive experience in the field of pharmaceuticals.

In conclusion, Professor Osman Al-Jazouli states that she was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2007, becoming the first woman to earn a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology. She was then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in 2018 and earned her professorship in 2019.

Major General Soad was born in Khartoum, specifically in Berri, where her mother's family hails from and where the extended family of the maternal lineage of the Mahas originates. The Barari area is historically considered the first nucleus of the city of Khartoum.

Professor Soad was the captain of the volleyball team in high school and also participated in cycling races, winning several medals in school sports events.

She is the mother of five children:
Engineer Ahmed Farouk Hassan
Engineer Khaled Farouk Hassan
Engineer Azza Farouk Hassan
Pharmacist Wadah Farouk Hassan
Dentist Basel Farouk Hassan

They are the only family with both spouses holding the rank of Lieutenant General in the Sudanese Armed Forces. Her husband is Lieutenant General Farouk Hassan Mohamed Nour, and her wife is Major General Pharmacist Soad Youssef Al-Karib.

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