Enas Al-Shahwan … Unique example on Saudi Women’s Empowerment

Enas bint Ahmed Al-Shahwan, a Saudi diplomat, has been the ambassador of King Salman Al Saud to Sweden since April 22, 2021

Saudi diplomat Enas bint Ahmed Al-Shahwan has served as King Salman Al Saud’s ambassador to Sweden since April 22, 2021.

She became the third female ambassador to represent Saudi Arabia abroad.

Rima bint Bandar bin Sultan, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, was the first, and Amal Al-Mouallimi, the Kingdom’s ambassador to Norway was the second.

Brief

Al-Shahwan obtained a master’s degree in international relations from Australia, and joined the diplomatic work in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2007,

She held some positions in the ministry, the most recent of which was Adviser to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs,

Al-Shahwan is the first woman to hold the position of ambassador from the diplomatic corps.

She was a Member of the first batch of the Future Leaders Program launched by the State Department in 2017

She received the Emerging Leadership Program certificate from Harvard University.

Al-Shahwan is the first woman to hold the position of director of a department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political and Economic Affairs.

She also participated in representing Saudi Arabia in several forums at the regional and international levels, and

Al-Shahwan contributed to training many ministry employees and various government sectors by providing lectures and workshops in the field of international relations.

First Trips

Riyadh was the first trip of the Kingdom’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden. From Al-Khafji to Riyadh, a student at King Saud University, she studied in the Computer Department,

Then she was submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a job competition, and she and her 14 female colleagues were chosen.

Their first steps toward diplomatic missions were to meet the experienced expert and hierarchy of the diplomatic corps, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, may God have mercy on him.

Her first diplomatic assignment was to work at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Australia

During her fourteen-year tenure in the ministry, Al-Shahwan handled several important political files.

She also participated in representing the Kingdom in many regional and international forums, such as the United Nations General Assembly in New York and the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She is a member of the first batch of the Future Leaders Program, which was launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2017.

Study & Work

While working in Australia in 2008, and in addition to carrying out her duties, Enas studied for a master’s degree and obtained that degree in two different fields.
The first is her job and the other is her university major.

1- Master’s degree in International Relations from the Australian National University.

2- Master’s degree in Information Systems from Griffith University in Australia.

Limitless Dream

Enas looks positively at the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in empowering female diplomats, praises the competencies in this field, and looks forward to appointing more female ambassadors soon.

The appointment of Enas Al-Shahwan, the third female ambassador in the history of Saudi Arabia, was only a step in a strong and ambitious program to empower women during the leadership of the current Kingdom.

Al-Shahwan took the oath before King Salman bin Abdulaziz, in the presence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, deputy to serve as the Kingdom’s ambassador to Sweden and Iceland.

In her first statement after assuming her position, Al-Shahwan expressed her pride and pride in this generous royal trust.

Al-Shahwan pointed out that “women in the Kingdom are experiencing an unprecedented phase of empowerment, during which they have achieved many achievements and successes in various fields.”

Great Experiences

Al-Shahwan assumes her new position armed with nearly 14 years of experience in diplomatic work, many achievements during her career, and multiple academic qualifications in her field of work.