Siham Alawami is an

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

woman known for her documentaries of

culture in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. She has also worked closely with legendary U.S. boxer,

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

Early life and education

Qatari-born, Alawami, left the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

after completing high school to study further in

. She graduated from

Webster University Vienna Webster Vienna Private University is a private American university in Vienna, Austria. While affiliated to the Webster University in St. Louis, USA, it remains a distinct and separate institution. History Webster University was founded in St. L ...

with Master's degrees in European Studies and European Law.

Career

Alawam developed TV programs and campaigns to promote the City of Vienna and its relations with the

Gulf countries The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...

, as well as creating an understanding among the youth of Vienna. Alawami started as a PR specialist for the intergovernmental organization,

OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...

, in Austria where she spent over 30 years and organized 30 Viennese Balls in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

and

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

, the last of which was in 1996. As part of her role at OPEC she was also responsible for briefing

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

on OPEC's goals and mission. Alawami has also worked as a print and television journalist and has produced, directed and presented various TV programs in Arabic, English and German. In 1977, Alawami worked as a private secretary for boxing legend

at his Deer Lake Training Camp.

Awards

The European Society of Communication and Education awarded Alawami the ERASMUS Seal of Approval for four of her TV programs: * 2008 ‘Vienna-Mozart and Um Kulthom’ (Vienna’s Cultural Diversity and its influence on Mozart’s compositions) * 2009 ‘Salam Islam’ (Integration of foreigners in Vienna) * 2010 ‘Vienna and Arabs - Culture and Business’ * 2011 ‘The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in Vienna’

The International Centre for Sport Security

Alawami returned to Qatar, joining

the International Centre for Sport Security The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) is an international, not-for-profit organisation based in Doha, Qatar. It was established in 2010 and formally launched in March 2011, with a global mission to promote and protect the integrity a ...

(ICSS) in August 2011, working directly with its President, Mohammed Hanzab. The ICSS is an international non-profit organisation with its headquarters in

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

. It was established in 2010, aiming to share expertise in the fields of safety, security and integrity at major international sporting events. The organisation's main roles include advisory, training and research working with organising committees, governments, bidding nations, infrastructure owners, sport associations, leagues and clubs. The ICSS also organises the annual conference, "Securing Sport", held in Doha, Qatar of which Alawami is a driving force.

External links

* http://www.theicss.org The International Centre for Sport Security page

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alawami, Siham Qatari television people Living people Year of birth missing (living people)