Afnan Al-Shuaiby

Al-Shuaiby spent much of her early childhood in England. She completed her undergraduate education in Riyadh before moving to the United States to pursue her postgraduate education.[4]

Al-Shuaiby was educated at King Saud University, graduating with a degree in English literature. She completed a Master of Arts in Educational Administration at the American University in Washington, D.C. She holds a PhD from George Washington University in Leadership Administration.[5] Al-Shuaiby holds a certificate in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the School of International Service, American University Washington, D.C., and Executive Education from the Harvard Kennedy School.[3]

In 2007, Al-Shuaiby was appointed Secretary-General and Chief Executive of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce.[6] Dr. Al-Shuaiby worked as Advisor to the President of the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council in Washington, D.C.[7] and is a member of the Board of Directors of the London-based Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF).[4] Al-Shuaiby is a public speaker, who has delivered speeches events, forums, and conferences on a range of issues, particularly the empowerment of women, women in business, and trade and investment.[8] She contributes a monthly article to Hia Magazine.[9]

In 2019 she was appointed Director General of International Relations at the Saudi Ministry of Culture.[10]

Dr Al-Shuaiby was nominated for the Business Services Award Category in 2009,[11] and she was named "Diplomat of the Year" for the Middle East in 2011 in recognition of her achievements as a foreign diplomat in London by Diplomat Magazine.[12] In the same year, Dr. Al-Shuaiby was the recipient of the World of Difference 100 Award 2011 from The International Alliance for Women (TIAW).[6] Dr Al-Shuaiby topped the list of the 30 most powerful women in Saudi Arabia in 2014 as reported by the Arabian Business website.[13]