Who are the Arab women ambassadors representing their countries in the US?

Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar have women as representatives in the US

Sheikha Al Zain Sabah in Dubai. The National

Kuwait's Sheikha Al Zain Al Sabah on Monday presented her credentials to President Joe Biden to formally begin her role as ambassador to the US.

She makes history as Kuwait's first woman ambassador to the US, but she is far from the only female Arab diplomat working in Washington or at the United Nations.

Here is a look at the others:

Dina Kawar

Ms Kawar has been serving as Jordan’s ambassador to the US since 2016. She served as a permanent representative to the UN from 2014-2016. Before this, she served as her country’s ambassador to France, the Vatican and Portugal.

She holds a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in international relations from Mills College. She is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

Princess Reema bint Bandar

Appointed Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US in 2019, Princess Reema is the first woman in her country’s history to serve in the role of ambassador.

She has extensive experience with US politics and diplomacy, having lived in Washington when her father, Prince Bandar, was ambassador. Prince Bandar is one of the grandchildren of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia.

Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Saudi ambassador to the US. AFP

Hanene Tajouri

Tunisia’s first female ambassador to the US is Hanene Tajouri, who was appointed in 2021. Previously, she served as Ambassador to Germany.

She began working in her country's foreign ministry in 1998. She would later move to Portugal to serve as first counsellor in Tunisia's embassy, before returning home to serve as deputy director in charge of Tunisia-EU relations.

Lana Nusseibeh

Since 2013, Lana Nusseibeh has served as the UAE's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN. She is the country's first woman to hold this position. Ms Nusseibeh is the daughter of Zaki Nusseibeh, a cultural adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed.

She has also served as Assistant Minister for Political Affairs since February 2021, and in January was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation’s Special Envoy to the United Nations, and the European Union.

Ms Nusseibeh earned a Bachelor's degree in history from the University of Cambridge and Master's in Israeli and Jewish diaspora studies from the University of London.

Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations, Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh. Getty / AFP

Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani

Qatar's permanent representative to the UN since 2013 is Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani. She previously served as her country’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva.

Her experience with the UN dates back to 2007, when she served as a counsellor for UN affairs for her country's foreign ministry.

She would later become a UN envoy in 2009, before serving as a deputy representative a year later. Her father, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, was a veteran foreign diplomat, who was ambassador for Sweden and Norway in the 1970s.