MUSCAT: Twitterati has no doubts about the verdict of tonight’s grand finale of Stars of Science. From top ministers to everyone and anyone has been rooting for Sultanate of Oman’s innovator Sumaiya Siyabi – a mom of three kids, an Sultan Qaboos University researcher and a teacher.

The Omani innovator is among the three finalists of the Stars of Science which will be declared the best Arab innovator in Doha on Friday night.

Many even do not want to know the two other finalists – Noraldin Al Deri of Jordan and Shada Bennbaia of Libya – or even about their innovations.

Noraldin’s project is a diagnostic tool that can assess a child’s intellectual capabilities between their first four months to three years while Shada’s Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring Bracelet, a non-invasive one, is expected to make it easier and more convenient for patients and medical practitioners as it will detect and record vibrations generated within the body’s blood vessels to give accurate continuous BP measurements.

Sumaiya’s innovation is to fight plastic pollution plaguing the world’s oceans. Her Remediation and Disposal of Micro-Plastics is a floating sphere comprised of microbial mats and nanomaterials that dissolves micro-plastics it comes into contact with.

Free of harsh chemicals, the device is an effective and environmentally friendly way of cleaning up plastic garbage in our oceans.

“When the environment is harmed, our communities get harmed as well. For example, microplastics in the ocean have directly impacted the food chain, and we are now observing those same microplastics building up inside humans which can lead to dangerous side effects in the future,” said Sumaiya. “Protecting our natural surroundings helps us safeguard the health of our communities.”

However, Sumaiya before taking her seat in the final moments did not forget to thank each and every one. “I extend my thanks to all. You had a great role in making this trip successful. Winning your support and backing…. The result will be shown at 10 o’clock Muscat time… so follow me,” Sumaiya tweeted and sent personal thanks messages to the Foreign Ministry, Environment Authority, SMEs Development Authority, her alma mater SQU, the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, PDO, Oman LNG, be’ah, Omran, Sohar International, telecoms giants Vodafone and Omantel, omanoil among others for the support.

Qatar Foundation’s Stars of Science Season 14 innovators proved the feasibility of their projects and inventions that tackled a pressing challenge for communities around the world’s environmental sustainability.

Hosted at Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), the show unbelievably captured the imagination of young and old who instantly became self-declared environmental ‘experts’ not just in the Gulf region but globally too.

The show has realized its dreams and transformed its ideas into reliable solutions that overcome the world’s most urgent environmental and sustainability challenges. The best part is, the innovators can develop and commercialize their projects through QSTP’s mentorship and incubation and funding programs.

Whatever tonight’s mandate, Sumaiya has handsomely won the hearts of all and beyond that, the petite and always confident looking lady with a disarming smile has simply ignited the imaginations of all not just in the Sultanate or the Gulf region but globally.