About the Ambassador

Her Excellency Ameirah AlHefeiti is a distinguished diplomat with over 15 years of experience in political and international diplomacy. Since November 2024, she has served as the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In addition, she oversees the UAE’s engagements with key international organizations based in The Hague, such as the International Court of Justice and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
 
 
Prior to her appointment in the Netherlands, AlHefeiti played a pivotal role in representing the UAE within the United Nations. From 2021 to 2024, she was the Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations in New York, where she managed complex political files during the UAE’s tenure on the UN Security Council. Her responsibilities included overseeing issues related to Africa, Asia, and the Americas, as well as thematic matters concerning human rights, humanitarian affairs, legal issues, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding.

Her work at the UN extends further back, as she managed the Security Council portfolio between 2017 and 2021, focusing on Middle Eastern issues, legal matters, and sanctions committees. She also contributed to the UAE’s preparations for its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the 2022-2023 term and was appointed as a Political Coordinator to oversee the political content of the UAE’s engagement at the UN.
 
 
From 2014 to 2017, AlHefeiti played a leadership role in youth and women’s issues while managing the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with social, humanitarian, and cultural matters. She also served as Vice-President of the Executive Board of UN Women in 2016, representing the Asia and Pacific Group.
 
 
AlHefeiti began her career at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2011 as an Analyst in the Policy Planning Department, where she worked on developing strategies related to the GCC, Yemen, Iraq, and the United Kingdom, with a special focus on the UAE-UK Task Force. Her portfolio also included human rights and women’s issues.
 
 
Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she served as a Parliamentary Researcher at the Federal National Council from 2009 to 2011. In this role, she conducted studies and contributed to the preparation of foreign engagements for the Council’s President and members at regional and international conferences and forums.
 
 
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, AlHefeiti was awarded the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Award for Excellence in the Distinguished Diplomat category in 2015.
 
 
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with distinction from the UAE University (2009) and a master’s degree in International Law, Diplomacy, and International Relations from Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (2014). She has also participated in several prestigious diplomatic training programs, including at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, New York University, Yale University, and Harvard Kennedy School.