By Zain Anbar Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Noura Ezza Fatairji has fought numerous obstacles in her path to become the first Saudi woman veterinarian. Dr. Fatairji graduated from Jordan's Science and Technology University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine. Later she joined Al-Erain Wildlife Conservation in Bahrain to learn how to treat wild animals. Two months ago, the Ministry of Agriculture appointed her under its Department for Animal Care. “As a child, I used to watch wildlife documentaries a lot and I fell in love with the field. I decided to become a veterinarian when I grew up. Being a vet is more challenging than other medical fields because your patient cannot communicate with you,” said Dr. Fatairji. She said her family was not supportive of her decision to study veterinary medicine. “There was no women's college or university in the Kingdom offering as veterinary science as a major. I had to travel to Jordan to pursue my dream. College was hard but I was able to get through it with the support of some family members and friends,” said Dr. Fatairji. She said she applied to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque’s Foreign Scholarship Program for a Master's program in the field but it was only open to men. “I heard that King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa is going to open the field for women by 2019. That’s good news. The Ministry of Agriculture has been very supportive of me as a woman veterinarian. They offered me a job in the Livestock Department. I also received a lot of offers from veterinary clinics in Riyadh,” said Dr. Fatairji.