Who is Sara Al Sayed, Saudi Arabia's new deputy foreign minister for public diplomacy?

Human rights activists have often flagged discrimination that women in Saudi Arabia face. The country has witnessed many human rights campaigns voicing their support for women's societal roles and bridging the gender gap. Amid this fight for women's empowerment, a piece of good news is coming out of Saudi Arabia as the country appointed Sara Al-Sayed as the deputy minister for public diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The announcement of the appointment came after a decision by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Who is Sara Al Sayed?

The newly appointed Sara Al Sayed held the position of assistant deputy minister for international collaboration at the Saudi Ministry of Health. Two years ago, she took the post of director-general of international collaboration. Her 20-year career is painted rainbow with a range of experience in diverse fields such as managerial banking, an international collaboration for companies and government organizations in the US and Saudi Arabia and military contracting.

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While in the Ministry of Health in April 2017, Al-Sayed managed collaborations such as G20 and the World Health Organization. Al-Sayed also worked to manage international media outreach and facilitated the availability of health data that highlighted the Kingdom’s achievements in healthcare globally. She also served as a regional director for Houston Methodist Global. Her work there comprised of delivering consultancy services in healthcare sectors for crucial institutions within Saudi Arabia, as per Arab News.

Al-Sayed work experience in the health sector is quite extensive. She also managed international collaboration with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital within the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University campus in Riyadh.

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Sara Al Sayed education

Al-Sayed spent 15 years of her educational and career life in Washington. During this tenure, she assumed the position of contracting officer at the Armed Forces Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia for three years.

She also holds banking experience as served in various managerial positions within the banking industry in the US for over 12 years. With extensive experience in personal banking, portfolio management, audit, insurance, business and commercial banking, mortgage banking, and risk management, the newly appointed diplomat was also selected to lead acquisitions and mergers of various institutions.

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Al-Sayed completed her bachelor’s in science from George Mason University in Washington. She is also an undergraduate in physical therapy at King Saud University in Riyadh, as per Arab News.

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