Sheikha Ahmed al-Mahmoud

Sheikha Ahmed al-Mahmoud
Minister of Education
In office
May 2003 – 2009
MonarchHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Succeeded bySaad bin Ibrahim Al-Mahmoud
Personal details
NationalityQatari

Sheikha Ahmed al-Mahmoud (died 29 January 2020) was appointed the first woman member of the Qatari cabinet in 2003. She became the Minister of Education, a post she held till 2009. She died on 29 January 2020.[1]

Early life

Al-Mahmoud was the daughter of Ahmed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud.[2] She held a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arabic literature.[3]

Career

Her career began in 1970 when she became a school teacher. Apart from teaching, Al-Mahmoud has served as a secondary school's principal, member of Committee for revising elementary education methods.[4][5] In 1996, she became the first woman Deputy Assistant Minister of education in Qatar.[6] She was also appointed an Under secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Cultivation and Education.[7] She retained the post till May 2003, when the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani made her the Minister of Education;[5] the first Qatari women to hold a cabinet post and the second in Gulf region to do so.[3]

Al-Mahmoud was made the Secretary General of Qatar's Supreme Education Council in May 2006.[8] In 2009, Saad bin Ibrahim Al-Mahmoud succeeded her as the Minister of Education.[2]

Personal life

Al-Mahmoud had two daughters and two sons.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Qatar's first female minister passes away". menafn.com. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  2. ^ a b Gulbrandsen, Anders (27 April 2010). Bridging the Gulf: Qatari Business Diplomacy and Conflict Mediation (PDF) (MA). Georgetown University. p. 23. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b Gulf Research Centre (16 May 2003). "Profile: Rare honour for Gulf woman". Gulf News. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Qatar: Sheikha Ahmed Al Mahmoud". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Al Baik, Duraid (7 May 2003). "Al Mahmoud is Qatar's first woman minister". Gulf News. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  6. ^ Başkan, Birol (2016). Turkey and Qatar in the Tangled Geopolitics of the Middle East. Palgrave Macmillan US. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-137-51771-5.
  7. ^ Publitec Publications, ed. (2007). Who's Who in the Arab World 2007-2008. Walter de Gruyter. p. 518. ISBN 978-3-11-093004-7.
  8. ^ Gonzalez, Gabriella (2009). Lessons from the Field: Developing and Implementing the Qatar Student Assessment System, 2002-2006. Rand Corporation. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-8330-4689-5.