Cairo: Fawzia Zainal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, participated in the celebration organized by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in cooperation with the Arab Council for Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development at the League's headquarters in Cairo, marking the International Day of Arab Women Diplomats.
According to Bahrain News Agency, during the event, Ambassador Zainal received the 2026 Arab Woman Award for Social Responsibility in recognition of her distinguished diplomatic and parliamentary career. The award honored her as the first elected female Speaker of a parliament in the Arab world, serving as Speaker of Bahrain's Council of Representatives from 2018 to 2022, as well as Bahrain's first female Ambassador to Egypt since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1971. She was also recognized for her contributions to advancing the role of Arab women in leadership and decision-making, alongside other distinguished female leaders from across the Arab world.
In her remarks, Ambassador Zainal said that Bahrain recognized early on that women are essential partners in national development, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Government led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. She also praised the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Supreme Council for Women, for spearheading a national model that has strengthened the status of Bahraini women and become a regional and international benchmark for women's empowerment.
She added that Bahraini women have progressed from empowerment to leadership, highlighting the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women (2025-2026), as a reflection of Bahrain's commitment to making women's advancement a key pillar of sustainable development.