Who is Sheikha Al Zain Al Sabah, Kuwait's new ambassador to the US?

Sheikha Al Sabah's involvement filmmaking earned her numerous awards

Sheikha Al Zain Al Sabah at an event in Dubai in 2021. Sarah Dea / The National

Kuwait's Sheikha Al Zain Al Sabah took an oath on Monday as she became the country's latest ambassador to Washington.

Born in 1974, Sheikha Al Sabah earned a bachelor's degree from Boston University's College of Communication in 1996 and a then master's degree in filmmaking from the University of Southern California.

“We all have the power to build bridges, or dig dams”, she said in an interview with Boston University's Alumni and Friends. “It’s up to us to decide.”

Her involvement in journalism and media production earned her numerous awards in her journey towards diplomacy.

She founded the National Creative Industries Group, which worked with Netflix to launch the first writers' incubator in the Mena region.

Sheikha Al Sabah also co-produced a film titled Amreeka (Arabic for America) in 2009 which earned 19 nominations and nine international wins, including the Fipresci Prize at Cannes Film Festival and the Best Film Award at Cairo International Film Festival.

As Undersecretary of Kuwait's Ministry of State for Youth Affairs — a post she took on in 2013 — Sheikha Al Sabah launched the country's first short film fund, among other initiatives.

She was given the Al Haitham Arab Media Award in 2017.

Kuwait's state news agency Kuna said at the time: “The decision of the award's higher committee has come in recognition of Sheikha Al Zain's efforts and continuous support to the Arab youth, offering them opportunities, through investing their energies in positive development matters that serve the society”.

She resigned from her ministerial post a year later, after five years of service.

In 2022, Sheikha Al Sabah received a Medal of Excellence for Service in the Youth Sector from the GCC.