Manal is a Doctoral Researcher at Loughborough Business School. She holds both a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with First Class Honours and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with Honours from Dar Al-Hekma University, Saudi Arabia. The MBA programme was designed in collaboration with the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.
Manal’s background is rooted in Marketing and Communications with over seven years of industry and academia experience. She is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP®) through the Digital Marketing Institute and the American Marketing Association (AMA). She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (ACIM®). Her professional experience spans both academia and the marketing industry, with strengths in social media marketing, website and digital campaign strategy. Her work is also informed by a strong interest in visual communication, particularly the role of branding, graphic design, and photography as tools for strategic storytelling and audience engagement.
Manal’s interest in research began at the age of 15 when she was selected to join the prestigious Gifted Students Programme (Mawhiba) in recognition of her academic distinction. As part of the program, she conducted scientific research in Mathematics and competed at both national and international levels. Her commitment to excellence has since been reflected in multiple merits and scholarships, including her current doctoral program, which is funded by the Saudi Excellence Scholarship Programme.
Supervisors: Dr Belinda Dewsnap and Dr Cheryl Travers
• Digital Marketing Trainer (2021–2023):
Delivered Digital Marketing workshops for Marketing Diploma students. Provided tailored social media marketing training sessions for marketing teams in professional agencies.
• Tutor, Math Support Lab, Dar Al-Hekma University (2014–2018):
Supported undergraduate students in developing their mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills through one-to-one and group tutoring.
Memberships and activities:
- Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), UK
- Member of the Advisory Board, Marketing & Management Department, Dar Al-Hekma University
- Member of the LB Conference Committee, Loughborough University (2025)
- Lead Representative of MBA cohort, Dar Al-Hekma University (2021–2023)
- Winner, Student Achievement Award, Dar Al-Hekma University (2022)
- First Place Winner and Top 5% Worldwide at Marketplace Simulations Competition (2021)
- Participant, Business Protocol and Etiquette Workshop, University of Lausanne, Switzerland (2019)"