Who is the young diplomat Haifa Al-Jedea?

For the Saudi King Salman, it is royal routine when newly appointed diplomats take the oath with him. For Haifa al-Jedea, on the other hand, the short audience with the king on Tuesday was the highlight of her young career so far. In future she will take on one of the most important tasks in Saudi diplomacy: she is the new ambassador to the European Union. She will also represent the Kingdom at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

This is the first time a woman has headed Saudi diplomacy in Brussels. Jedea is only the fifth ambassador of the kingdom, in which just a few years ago women had hardly any rights, let alone opportunities for professional or social advancement. But the appointment of the young woman, whose exact age is not publicly known, shows that Saudi Arabia also wants to put a new face on the diplomatic stage.

Image polishing in the west

Female diplomats are a new phenomenon in the Gulf monarchy. A Saudi ambassador was appointed for the first time in 2019: Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, a princess from the Saudi royal family. She was also entrusted with a prestigious post as head of the Saudi embassy in Washington. In the years that followed, Saudi ambassadors to Norway, Sweden and Iceland followed. In addition, Nesreen al-Shebel took the oath together with Haifa al-Jedea; she becomes ambassador to Finland.

It should not be a coincidence that the Saudi diplomats are only deployed in western countries where gender equality and the equality of women shape the political debates. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has done a lot to improve its image in the US and Europe. Similar to neighboring Qatar, it invests in major sporting events, brings Hollywood stars to the country for festivals and stages social change in a media-effective way.

This is primarily driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the seventh son of the king. “MBS” has been the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia for several years. Starting in 2016, he introduced numerous reforms that are intended, among other things, to gradually improve the previously desolate situation of women in the country.

Playing in the Swiss snow

Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to simply label the appointment of Haifa al-Jedea as the result of a Saudi image campaign. The young woman has made a remarkable career. After completing a bachelor’s degree in television journalism in New York, she completed two master’s degrees in international relations and international conflict resolution and negotiation.

From 2014 she worked in the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office and at the same time advised the Saudi UN mission on security issues. In 2017 she left New York and worked in various Saudi ministries in Riyadh, including as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most recently, she headed the in-house think tank of the Saudi Research and Media Group, the largest publishing house in the Middle East.

As a member of an international Saudi elite, Haifa al-Jedea also enjoys greater privileges and opportunities than many of her compatriots, who continue to suffer from the severe repression in the country. Born in Riyadh, daughter of a diplomat, she attended international schools in Geneva and New York. on one childhood photo she can be seen playing in the Swiss snow.

She is committed to fight against climate change. She also founded one in 2014 site, which aims to support Saudi women in the labor market. This commitment also fits in perfectly with what can be said in the new Saudi zeitgeist. While each appointment as ambassador is sure to inspire many Saudi girls, it is undoubtedly a step forward. But precisely: progress is still decreed from above in Saudi Arabia.