Before Shaikha Alya’s New York appointment, she was Qatar’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva.

Sheikha Alya Ahmed Al Thani became Qatar’s first female ambassador to the United Nations, a milestone she hopes will inspire more women from the Middle East to enter the diplomatic sphere.

Serving as Qatar’s permanent representative to the UN since 2013, Sheikha Alya has been a vocal advocate for justice and accountability on the global stage. She has since been committed to opening the door for more Arab women in diplomacy.

“It is very important to me that this succeeds and that others succeed,” she told PassBlue.

“It’s a personal struggle that if I fail it will discourage others from joining or will discourage the idea of having more women,” she added.

Sheikha Alya, currently in her 40s, has spent nearly 15 years in Qatar’s diplomatic service.

The UN diplomat holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Qatar University and a master’s in international studies and diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.

Sheikha Alya said her father, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani who served as Qatar’s minister of state and ambassador to Britain, Sweden, and Norway, has heavily influenced her career path.

As Qatar’s first female permanent representative to the UN in Geneva and the World Trade Organization, she has paved the way for future generations of Qatari women.

The diplomat was also nominated as a Young Global Leader to improve the state of the world by the World Economic Forum in 2013.