Monarch Abdullah II Preceded by Hatem Al Halawani Nationality Jordanian Party Independent politician | Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour Succeeded by Jawad Anani Political party Independent | |
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Full Name Maha Abdel-Rahim Ali Born 17 May 1973 (age 43)
Amman, Jordan ( 1973-05-17 ) Education University of Jordan, German-Jordanian University | ||
Maha Ali (Arabic: مها علي ; born 17 May 1973) is a Jordanian politician and industrial engineer. She is the previous Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, assuming the position after a cabinet reshuffle in Abdullah Ensour's government on 2 March 2015.
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Early life and education
Maha Ali was born in Amman in 1973. Her father is a prominent Jordanian doctor and retired general in the Jordanian Armed Forces. She is trilingual in Arabic, English and French. Ali has a B.Sc. in industrial engineering from the University of Jordan, a trade policy diploma from the WTO in Switzerland and an MBA from the German Jordanian University.
Political career
Ali began her political career in 1998. From August 1998 till February 2001, she was a researcher at the World Trade Organization. Ali was then assigned as the Head of Trade in the Services Section of the Foreign Trade Policy Department until April 2002. Between April 2002 and April 2003, she was assigned as a deputy economic counsellor at Jordan's permanent mission to the United Nations. In October 2003 she assumed the role of the director of the Foreign Trade Policy Department until 2010, when she became Secretary-General (deputy minister) of the ministry.
During her incumbency as Secretary-General, she led negotiations on Jordan's accession to the WTO and was the head of the Jordanian delegation on Jordan's adherence to the OECD. Ali also hosted the investments and trade pillar of the Deauville Partnership meeting in 2012 and has played a key role during joint committee meetings with Jordan's trade partners. She additionally led work on Jordan's free trade agreements with the US, Singapore, Canada and Turkey.
Ali was a board member of a number of government institutions including Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation, Jordan Investment Board, and Jordan Development Zones Company prior to her being appointed minister.
On 2 March 2015, a cabinet reshuffle in the Second Cabinet of Abdullah Ensour saw the appointment of Ali as Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply.
Educational career
Upon retirement from public service, Ali works as an industrial professor at the School of Management and Logistical Sciences at the German Jordanian University. Her research interests include international trade and international business.
Honours and awards
Ali was ranked as the 8th Most Powerful Arab Woman in Government by Forbes in 2015 and has been awarded several royal medals by Jordan's King Abdullah II for her efficiency in civil service, including the Order of Independence of the 3rd class.
In 2016, She received the Governor General’s Medallion by the Governor General of Canada David Johnston, for efforts exerted in strengthening trade between Jordan and Canada.