Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani (also Haifa Al Kaylani) (Arabic: هيفاء الفاهوم الكيلاني ), Founder Chairman, Arab International Women’s Forum is well known in international government and business circles as a high-impact change agent focusing on leadership in cultural and gender issues. An economist and graduate of the American University of Beirut and Oxford University with highly developed diplomatic, administrative and communications skills, she brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging greater cultural understanding between Arab and international communities, supporting a strong role for women in that process.

Al Kaylani has successfully led numerous initiatives and has been involved in a wide variety of charities, cultural institutions, NGO’s and the private sector in the UK, the Arab world and internationally. She also commands wide international exposure in government and business circles, including high level contacts in the Middle East, Europe, India and North & South America. Haifa Al Kaylani serves as a Freeman and Liveryman of the City of London, and as a much sought-after speaker. Haifa has chaired and addressed major conferences on development, diversity, leadership and cross cultural dialogue. Fluent in five languages, she is widely travelled in more than 60 countries.

In January 2017, Haifa Al Kaylani was invited to become a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University to join 45 global leaders selected for an intensive, multi-disciplinary program and yearlong Fellowship to solve significant social problems. As a Fellow of Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative, Mrs Al Kaylani is focussed on economic development through the empowerment and advancement of Arab women and youth and by advocating job creation, entrepreneurship, education and economic empowerment, not only in the MENA region but internationally.

Al Kaylani was born in Palestine and raised in Lebanon. She is the eldest of 5 daughters and studied at English-speaking schools, learning five different languages fluently. Mrs Al Kaylani is a dual British and Lebanese citizen of Palestinian origin, Jordanian by marriage and a UK Resident since 1976. She speaks English, Arabic, French (fluent), Spanish and Italian.

Al Kaylani attended the Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset the British Lebanese School for Girls in Beirut. She achieved a BA in Economics at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1966, later returning to AUB to earn a Masters in Economic Development in 1971 after preparing for a Diploma in the same subject at Oxford University in 1967. After completing her education, she went on to work as a junior economist for the United Nations for two years.

Al Kaylani married a Jordanian Ambassador, the late Wajih S. Al Kaylani, in 1970. For over forty years she assisted her husband in his diplomatic postings and official and business engagements including those as Jordanian Ambassador to India, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tunisia. They moved to the United Kingdom permanently in 1976 whilst maintaining close ties in Jordan and Lebanon. They have a son, Sirri Al Kaylani, who is a successful commercial lawyer.

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