Lubna Qassim
Lubna Qassim | |
|---|---|
| Minister Plenipotentiary of First Degree - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 2018 | |
| Appointed by | HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| Deputy Permanent Representative UN Geneva - UAE Mission to UN & International Organisations Geneva | |
| In office Nov 2019 – Nov 2024 | |
| Senior Legal Counsel to UAE Foreign Minister | |
| In office Aug 2018 – Nov 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | Honours Degree in Law from Brunel University Postgraduate diploma in Law from Leeds University |
| Profession | UAE diplomat International Lawyer. |
Lubna Qassim is a UAE diplomat, lawyer and strategist. She was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary of First Degree by a Presidential Decree and subsequently joined the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as Senior Legal Counsel to the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Qassim obtained an Honours Degree in Law from Brunel University and a Postgraduate in Law from Leeds University in the UK.[3] In 2009, she also earned a diploma in International Relations from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.[3]
Career
[edit]Qassim began her career at Clifford Chance LLP where she worked in their London and UAE offices.[4][3] Qassim then transitioned into the public sector, in UAE on invitation from the Dubai Government she established the Economic Legislative and regulatory department at Dubai Economic Council.[5] She the transitioned to become a consultant for the World Bank on public sector reform in the GCC in 2009.[6] Following this, she took on the role of Director of the Economic Legislation Department at the UAE Ministry of Economy, where she led efforts to reform the UAE's federal economic legislations, overseeing the successful passing of multiple key economic laws that had not been updated in over two decades.[3][7]
In 2014, Qassim moved into the banking sector, becoming the first female executive Vice President at a major financial institution in the MENA region that year.[8] As Emirates NBD Secretary and Chief Group General Counsel, she was responsible for overseeing legal restructuring within the bank and building a fit for purpose inhouse legal function for the Bank and resolving significant legacy legal disputes across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and United States of America.[9][10]
In 2018, Qassim was appointed by a presidential decree to become a Minister Plenipotentiary of First Degree in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.[11][12] She later became Deputy Permanent Representative and Charge d'Affaires of the UAE to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.[13][14][15] In this capacity, she represented the UAE across multiple global platforms and engaged with international organizations on key issues ranging from refugee crises to global health, international law, economic development, trade, climate and environment, humanitarian issues and human rights.[16]
Awards
[edit]- Qassim was named the Best General Counsel of the Middle East by Legal 500 in 2016 and 2017.
- In 2018, she was named as one of the Top 50 Female Leaders in the Arab World.[11]
- She was also awarded the title of Best Woman in Business Law by the IFRL in 2018.[17]
- In 2022, the EU delegation to the UN in Geneva recognized Lubna as a female leader advancing multilateralism and the ideals of the United Nations.[18]
- In 2024, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization presented her with a certificate of appreciation for her outstanding contributions and for strengthening collaboration between the UAE and WHO.[19]
Publications
[edit]- Multilateralism, Human Rights and Diplomacy: A Global Perspective
- Promoting peace human rights and dialogue among civilizations
References
[edit]- ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). indico.un.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "H.E Ms. Lubna Qassim" (PDF). pp. 2–3.
- ^ a b c d Rutter, Tamsin (2013-11-20). """UAE public sector needs more expertise in economic legislation" - Lubna Qassim". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Lubna Qassim: A lawyer helping to transform UAE". english.mubasher.info. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ Arnold, Tom. "Lubna Qassim: a lawyer helping to transform UAE". The National. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "2018-ARAB-WOMEN:45.Lubna Qassim - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle East, Real Estate, Finance, and More". www.arabianbusiness.com. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ Hill, Jessica. "Women are a growing influence on banking in the Middle East". The National. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Emirates NBD Announces the Appointment of Group Company Secretary". Emirates NBD. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "My UAE: seeing two sides with Lubna Qassim | Arabian Post". 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Meet Her: Lubna Qassim, A Leading Global Lawyer and An Advocate For Gender Equality -". 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ a b Gaëlle (2021-03-12). "Covid-19 and Right to Education: current impact and future consequences I GCHRAGD". CENTRE DE GENEVE. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "High-Level Dialogue on World Environment Day". Global Platform for Action. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "UAE Mission to the UN in Geneva joins Muslim World League and UN University for Peace launch book promoting peace, dialogue among nations". www.mofa.gov.ae. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "UAE delegation meet in Malaga, sends message of dialogue and constructive dialogue".
- ^ "Lubna Qassim". H20 Annual Summit. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Inspiring Women: Lubna Qassim". AlShindagah.com. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "IFLR Middle East Awards 2018: winners revealed". IFLR. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "#Women4Multlilateralism - The remarkable contribution of women to multilateralism | EEAS". www.eeas.europa.eu. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ Tedros Adhanom on X. "Award of certificate to Lubna by Tedros Adhanom".