Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi ( so, Khadija Mohamed Al-makhzoumi, ar, خديجة محمد المخزومي) is a Somali/British diplomat and politician who currently serves as th
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
in

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

and also a member of the

Federal Parliament of Somalia The Federal Parliament of Somalia ( so, Golaha Shacabka Soomaaliya; often ''Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya''; ar, البرلمان الاتحادي في الصومال) is the national parliament of Somalia. Formed in August 2012, it is ba ...

's House of the People.

Career

She assumed office as

Minister of Environment and Climate change The minister of environment and climate change (french: ministre de l'environnement et du changement climatique) is a minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada. The portfolio is responsible for the Environment and Climate Change Canada, as ...

on August 9, 2022, and is responsible for developing and implementing environmental policies, strategies, laws, and regulations in the country. She was the Ambassador of

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, based at the Somali embassy in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

. She was assigned to the office on 2 April 2015. In 2016 she was appointed as the Ambassador of Somalia to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. File:H.E Amb. Khadija Mohamed Al Makhzoumi 2022.jpg, H.E Amb. Khadija Mohamed Al Makhzoumi at the Federal Government's ministerial meeting 2022. Prior to her appointment a
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Amb. Khadija served as Somalia's Ambassador to

from 2016 to 2022. She has also held several other diplomatic positions, including Somalia's Ambassador to

, head of the Somali embassy in

, a political advisor to the

Arab League The Arab League ( ar, الجامعة العربية, ' ), formally the League of Arab States ( ar, جامعة الدول العربية, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world, which is located in Northern Africa, Western Africa, E ...

, and a senior political advisor to th
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs
She also served as a counsellor at the Somali embassy in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. As her time as the Somali Ambassador to Pakistan, Mrs. Khadija was honored with the prestigiou
Global Ambassador Award
This distinguished recognition highlighted her exceptional contributions and unwavering dedication to fostering diplomacy and international relations. Throughout her tenure, Mrs. Khadija played a vital role in nurturing positive relationships between Somalia and the global community. The presentation of th
Global Ambassador Award
served as a testament to her exemplary leadership and diplomatic skills during her time as the Somali Ambassador to Pakistan. File:Portrait of Amb. Khadija Al Makzoumi, 2015..jpg, Portrait of Amb. Khadija Al Makzoumi, 2020 During her tenure as the Somali Ambassador to Pakistan, Khadija played a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. One notable achievement was the signing of
$10.5 million
accord between Pakistan and Somalia for the implementation of an identification system
This agreement, inked in May 2018
aimed to enhance administrative processes and improve security measures in Somalia. Khadija's efforts in facilitating this agreement showcased her diplomatic skills and commitment to promoting cooperation and development between nations. Being a young and energetic diplomat, Ambassador Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi is one of the most mindful diplomats that Somalia has ever produced. She joined th
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in 2008. In 2008-09, she offered her services as Liaison's Office in th
U.K., Ministry of Diaspora, Somalia
From 2010-Jun to 2011, she served as Counselor, Somalia Embassy, Malaysia. Later on, from 2011 to 2013, Ambassador Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi was deployed as the Senior Political Adviser
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Somalia.

Education and background

Amb. Khadija's background and educational journey have played a pivotal role in shaping her diplomatic career. Amidst the turmoil of the 1991 Somali civil war, she and her family were forced to flee their homeland for safety. They moved to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

, where she completed her primary education. Recognizing the importance of education in her personal and professional growth, Khadija's determination led her to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1995. Where she sought refuge in and embarked on her higher education journey. In the UK,

Khadija Khadija, Khadeeja or Khadijah ( ar, خديجة, Khadīja) is an Arabic feminine given name, the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In 1995, it was one of the three most popular Arabic feminine names in th ...

pursued her studies, immersing herself in an environment that nurtured her intellectual curiosity and passion for diplomacy. Amb. Khadija holds a Bachelor of Business Management from

Southampton University , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

in the

, a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

from Anglia Ruskin University in the

, and is currently pursuing a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

in Peace, Governance, and Development with a specialization in Climate Diplomacy from the

United Nations University The (UNU) is the think tank and academic arm of the United Nations. Headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, with diplomatic status as a UN institution, its mission is to help resolve global issues related to human development and welfare thro ...

for Peace in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. Amb. Khadija is fluent in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

, and Somali, and can speak

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

and has a British nationality.

Awards

As a result of outstanding contribution towards building Pakistan’s strong partnership with Somalia, on behalf of the people of Pakistan, Diplomatic Insight Group conferred an award to Amb. Khadija Mohamed Al Makhzoumi, Ambassador of Somalia to Pakistan. This was a humble tribute to her hard work and commitment to Pakistan-Somalia relations.
Global Ambassador Award

References

Living people 1982 births Ambassadors of Somalia to Pakistan Women ambassadors Somalian women diplomats {{cite web , url=https://dnd.com.pk/pakistan-somalia-agree-to-enhance-mutual-cooperation/140747 , title=Pakistan, Somalia agree to enhance mutual cooperation , access-date=2018-03-29