Dr. Nahida Nayaz Ahmed, an American board-certified Consultant Psychiatrist, currently serving as the Chief Medical Officer at SAKINA Mental Health & Well-being Services. Dr. Ahmed trained in Psychiatry residency from the Tufts University-affiliated St. Elizabeth Medical Centre and a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship from the Harvard University-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance in Boston. Her commitment to advancing mental health care reforms in the UAE has positioned her at the forefront of numerous pioneering initiatives aimed at enhancing the sector. She has held key leadership roles such as Chair of the Behavioral Health Council at SEHA and Chair of the Mental Health Task Force at the Abu Dhabi Department of Health.

Her expertise is recognized globally as an International Associate of the Royal College of Psychiatry, UK and American Association of Physician Leadership (AAPL) Certified Physician Executive (CPE). Dr. Ahmed is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the UAE University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences and as an Associate Lecturer at Khalifa University. She has been instrumental in integrating mental health services within the Primary Health Network in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Her dedication is focused on improving access to care, empowering patients, facilitating functional recovery, and diminishing the stigma associated with mental illness in the region.