HE Lolwah Al-Khater | |
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لؤلؤة الخاطر | |
Nationality | Qatari |
Education | Master of Science in Computing, and a Master’s of Arts in Public Policy |
Alma mater | |
Office |
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Website | www |
Lolwah Rashid Mohammed Al-Khater (Arabic: لؤلؤة الخاطر) (born in Doha, Qatar) is a Qatari diplomat who is the first Qatari woman to hold the position of Spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Assistant Foreign Minister of Qatar.[1][2][3] Since March 2023, she has served as Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[4]
Lolwah Al-Khater holds a master's of science in computing and initially worked as an engineer in the field of oil and gas.[5][6] She pursued a master's of arts in public policy, with a focus on public policy and Islam.[6][7] According to her biography, she is a part-time lecturer at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and a research associate at The Oxford Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Forum at St Antony's College at the University of Oxford.[7] According to her biography, she is a DPhil Candidate at the University of Oxford in the area of Oriental Studies,[8] examining Islam and Modernity in the context of the Arab Nahda.[9][10]
Al-Khater entered the Qatari ministry of foreign affairs as a minister plenipotentiary.[7] She was Director of Planning and Quality at Qatar Tourism Authority and a Research Project Manager at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.[7][11] In 2017, Al-Khater was appointed the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani,[7] the first woman to hold this post.[1][12] This appointment has been cited as an important advance in women's representation in the Qatari government.[5] In this role, she was "one of the most prominent voices" advocating for Qatar during the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis, according to Al Khaleej, and pushed for "a meaningful solution" to the Syrian civil war.[5][6][11][13] In 2019, she was appointed Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.[7][11]
She is Spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management in Qatar. In this role, she delivered daily briefings to the public on Qatar TV during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][14][15][16]
She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Georgetown University in Qatar.[17][18]
In March 2023, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani appointed Al-Khater Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[19][20]
Following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Al-Khater was the first foreign official to visit the besieged Gaza Strip on Sunday, 26th of November. There she surveyed the disputed influx of aid, met wounded Palestinians and spoke with Wael Al-Dahdouh, Gaza bureau chief of Qatari-funded Al Jazeera, who lost his wife, son and grandchild in an Israeli airstrike. [21]