A Meeting with Kuwait’s History-Making Ambassador to the U.S.

I recently met with Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States. She presented her credentials to President Biden on April 19, 2023 and is the first Kuwaiti woman to serve in this role. She is accompanied by her husband and has three children: a son in Los Angeles, a daughter in New York, and a son in Kuwait.

The Ambassador considers the United States a second home. She studied journalism at Boston University and received an MFA from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Now, she follows in the family tradition of public service. Not only did her father serve in the Ministry of Defense, but several of her uncles served as Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States.

Prior to serving as ambassador, Al- Sabah served as Secretary for Youth Affairs in Kuwait. While there, she drafted the country’s first National Youth Policy. During her tenure, Kuwait was named the Youth Capital of the Middle East by the Arab League.

She also founded the award-winning organization, National Creative Industries Group (NCIG) to teach and to share media tools enabling entrepreneurs to produce films reflecting their cultures. This, the Ambassador believes, helps both nations and cultures better understand each other. Under her tenure the company partnered with Netflix as well as signing with the Creative Arts Agency (CAA), leading entertainment and sports agency in the United States.

In the United States she worked at ABC News with Peter Jennings and went on to produce “Journey to Mecca,” which premiered at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and “Amreeka” (“America” in Arabic), featured at the Sundance Film Festival.

As we talked on, Ambassador Al -Sabah shared her thoughts on current diplomacy. She mentioned that although we have learned a great deal from the past, it is now time to move forward, to be creative. She feels strongly that diplomacy should not be restricted to the current political reality, but rather incorporate as well “emotional intelligence”— an understanding of the human feelings involved.

Ambassador Al -Sabah has won several awards including  the “Leadership Medal for Excellence” in  the field of Youth Service, the Arab Award for “Inspirational Woman of the Year 2015,” and the Distinguished Alumni Award for “Service in Profession,” from Boston University.

Just before leaving, I asked the Ambassador what she most appreciates about America. In listing the multiculturalism and diversity of the country, the economic power, and the creative industries in film, TV, and the wider media, she made me proud to be an American.

With her extraordinarily varied background, Ambassador Al-Sabah seems uniquely qualified to play her important diplomatic role as Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United States.