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Center for Developmental and Behavioral Disorders, EJH
Dr. Safinaz Al Harthi, MD is a Saudi consultant pediatric neurologist with a specialized clinical focus on neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental and behavioral conditions in children and adolescents. She has held senior clinical and administrative roles within the Saudi healthcare system and has been actively involved in pediatric neurology education, professional organizations, research, and disability-health initiatives.
Dr. Al Harthi completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She subsequently completed her specialist training in pediatric neurology and obtained the Saudi Board in Pediatric Neurology from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh. Her qualifications and specialist background have been publicly documented in professional conference biographies.
More recently, she completed a Clinical Fellowship in ADHD at McGill University in Canada, a training experience that further developed her expertise in the assessment and management of ADHD across children, adolescents, and adults. She has described this fellowship as an important part of her professional development in ADHD care.
She has also obtained training/certification related to the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) through the Transforming Autism Care Consortium.
Dr. Al Harthi is a Consultant Pediatric Neurologist and has developed a particular professional interest in ADHD and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her professional profile identifies her interests as including neurobehavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.
She has served as Director of the Center for Developmental and Behavioral Disorders within Jeddah Health, where her work has focused on children and families affected by developmental and behavioral conditions. Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society conference materials have repeatedly identified her in this leadership role.
She has also held a leadership position in Specialized Centers Affairs within the Ministry of Health, including serving as Assistant Director of Specialized Centers Affairs.
More recent professional information identifies her as Director of the Specialized Health Care Department at Jeddah First Health Cluster, reflecting her expanding responsibilities in healthcare administration and service development.
Her professional expertise includes:
Her work bridges clinical pediatric neurology with developmental and behavioral medicine, particularly in the diagnosis and comprehensive management of children with neurodevelopmental needs.
Dr. Al Harthi has participated in research involving pediatric neurology, neurogenetics, autism, and developmental disorders.
One notable publication is the study “A Novel Homozygous Mutation in SPTBN2 Leads to Spinocerebellar Ataxia in a Consanguineous Family: Report of a New Infantile-Onset Case and Brief Review of the Literature,” published in The Cerebellum in 2018. She was among the authors from the Department of Neurosciences and Genetics teams at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. The research identified a novel SPTBN2 mutation associated with infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia and contributed to the understanding of rare hereditary neurological disease.
She also contributed to research examining quality of life among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Jeddah. The study investigated factors associated with parental quality of life and highlighted the importance of comprehensive support systems for families caring for children with ASD.
In addition, she presented work on early recognition and diagnosis of ADHD, emphasizing the importance of identifying ADHD symptoms early and using appropriate clinical and psychometric assessment as part of multidisciplinary management.
Dr. Al Harthi has been an active contributor to the Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society (SPNS).
She has participated as faculty in multiple SPNS conferences, including the 8th Annual Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society Conference in 2023, where she was listed as Consultant Pediatric Neurologist and Director of the Center for Developmental and Behavioral Disorders.
She was also listed as faculty at the 9th SPNS Conference in 2024.
At the 11th Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society Conference and Workshops, she held important leadership responsibilities. She was identified as:
She has also served as a session chair and moderator for SPNS educational activities.
One of Dr. Al Harthi's notable professional achievements has been her involvement with Special Olympics Saudi Arabia and Special Olympics MENA.
She was promoted to become a Regional Clinical Advisor for General Medical Examination for the Middle East and North Africa region, with recognition/accreditation from Special Olympics International. Public announcements described her as the first regional clinical advisor in this specialty for the MENA region.
This role reflects her broader commitment to improving healthcare access and quality for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and promoting their inclusion in health, sports, and community activities.
A Saudi medical-event listing also identifies her as “MEDFEST Clinical Advisor, Special Olympics Saudi Arabia and MENA Region.”
Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society (SPNS)
Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society (SPNS)