H.E Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa is the Director General of the Institute of Public Administration in the kingdom of Bahrain. H.E career in public service spans several key roles in the Bahraini government. From 2021 to 2023, she served as the Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council, and from 2017 to 2021, she was the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That made her the first woman in the Arab world to hold the position of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has also held other significant positions, including Assistant Undersecretary for Arab and Afro-Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2011-2017).
Beyond her governmental roles, H.E Dr. Al Khalifa is actively involved in various committees. She is a Member in the Council of Administration of The International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), a vice chairman of Government Service Centers Evaluation Committee, she was a member of the Supreme Council for Women in the kingdom of Bahrain and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Mubarak Academy for Diplomatic Studies and has been a Vice chairman of the board of trustee of Higher Education Council. Additionally, she has contributed to many national and international initiatives, including serving as Vice President of the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons.
H.E achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. She was awarded the Efficiency Medal of the First Class by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (2018) and the Prince Salman bin Hamad Medal for Medical Merit (2021). Her other accolades include the “Star of Italy” Medal by the President of the Italian Republic in 2023, an Honorary Doctorate from the United Nations’ University of Peace in 2022.
H.E Dr. Al Khalifa’s has an impressive academic background with a Ph.D. in International Law from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, a master’s degree in international Peace and Conflict from American University in Washington, USA. 1
