Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said has made history by becoming the first woman from an Arab Gulf state to be elected as the Regional Vice President for the Eastern Mediterranean (2025–2027) at the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH).
Sayyida Basma Al Said is the first GCC and Omani woman to hold this position since the World Federation for Mental Health was established in 1948.
Sayyida Basma has long championed the region’s mental health landscape, promoting awareness and advancing dialogue across Oman, the GCC, and the wider Arab region.
The election stands as a testament to her two decades of active work in the field. Her Highness Sayyida Basma bint Fakhri Al Said is a leading mental health advocate and the founder of Whispers of Serenity, Oman’s first holistic mental health clinic, established in 2011.
Sayyida Basma Al Said holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Jordan and a master’s in health counselling from Curtin University in 2008. Sayyida Basma is a mental health clinical counsellor, hypnotherapist, and PTSD-informed trainer. In 2014, she founded “Not Alone”, a mental health awareness campaign recognised for offering psychological support during the COVID-19 pandemic through a global messaging helpline.
Sayyida Basma Al Said served as a judge for the Diana Awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024, becoming the first Omani and the first Arab to join the esteemed judging panel.
Speaking on her new appointment, Sayyida Basma Al Said said, “This achievement is not mine alone; it is the result of your constant support, trust, and encouragement. My heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone who has been part of this journey and who continues to believe in the importance of mental well-being.
I am proud to represent my beloved country and region on this global platform, and deeply grateful for this opportunity.”
WFMH is an international membership organisation founded in 1948 to advance, among all peoples and nations, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, and the promotion of mental health. The mission of the World Federation for Mental Health is to promote the advancement of mental health awareness, prevention of mental disorders, advocacy, and best practice recovery-focused interventions worldwide.
