H.E. Ambassador Dr. Sh. Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa

Director-General

Dr. Muneera Al Khalifa is a Bahraini diplomat and academic currently serving as the Director General (Rank of Ambassador) of the Mohamed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Since 2019, Dr. Al Khalifa has been responsible for managing the Academy and overseeing its development into an accredited institution. She also chairs key committees within the Ministry, including the Recruitment and Assessment Committee, and the Excellence Committee. Dr. Al Khalifa previously served as the chair of the Equal Opportunities Committee as well as vice chair of the Diplomatic Corps Committee, which handles diplomatic appointments and promotions.

In addition to overseeing the Academy, Dr. Al Khalifa’s role includes teaching courses such as Bahrain’s Contemporary History, Skills for Diplomacy, and Critical Thinking, alongside managing a team of faculty and staff. She has also provided consulting expertise to diplomatic institutes in Greece, Sierra Leone, and Kuwait.

From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Al Khalifa was the Executive Director of the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she oversaw the introduction of key programs and supervised the recruitment and training of Bahrain’s diplomats. She was involved in the creation of the Institute and its operational structure between 2016 and 2017.

Before her diplomatic career, Dr. Al Khalifa taught International Relations and Middle Eastern Politics at the University of Oxford from 2010 to 2015. She holds a DPhil (PhD) in Middle East Studies from the University of Oxford, where her research focused on identity and citizenship in Bahrain. She also holds an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford and a BA in International Relations from Webster University, Geneva.