Kholoud Faqih

Kholoud Faqih is a Palestinian judge and the first female Sharia judge in the Middle East.

Kholoud studied law at the University of Jerusalem, graduating in 1999. Licensed to practise law in 2001, she worked at the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counselling. From 2003 to 2008 she worked for the Defense of Battered Women. In 2005 she gained a master's degree in private law from Jerusalem University. After passing two competitive judicial exams in Ramallah, in 2009 she was appointed a judge in the Sharia Court of Ramallah.

In 2012 CEO Middle East magazine ranked her at #10 in a list of the '100 Most Powerful Arab Women' in the world.