An academic turned diplomat, Alia Hatoug-Bouran became Jordan’s first female ambassador prior to assuming her post in the United States on September 14, 2010.

 

Born in Amman, Bouran earned her Bachelor of Science degree (1979) and Master of Science degree (1980) in applied environment studies from Moscow University. Her doctorate of philosophy in environmental science and strategic planning was completed in 1983 at the Russian Academy of Science Novosibirsk Branch.

 

Bouran’s career began in academia, serving as an associate professor of environmental science at the University of Jordan from 1984 to 1998. During this time she also advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on environmental matters and served as senior negotiating member on environmental matters during peace talks with Israel (1993-1994).

 

From 1998 to 2001, she was secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Concurrently, she was head of the Jordanian team on environmental multilateral peace talks (1998-1999) and led the environment team on free trade negotiations between Jordan and the United States (1999-2000).

 

Her first ambassadorial assignment—representing the first of its kind for a woman from Jordan—was to Belgium in June 2001. She added Luxembourg and the European Commission to her portfolio six months later and Norway in March 2002.

 

Bouran left all of these posts in October 2003 to become Jordan’s minister of tourism and antiquities, a position she held for two years. She was also, briefly, minister of environment. In March 2006, she took over as ambassador to the United Kingdom, and in March 2007 she presented her credentials as non-resident ambassador to Iceland.

 

She speaks Arabic, English and Russian. Bouran’s husband, Ishaq, is an electrical engineer who owns his own company in Jordan. The couple has a daughter and a son.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

The Ambassador (Embassy of Jordan)

Biography (Washington Diplomat)