| Birth Place: | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| Office: | Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States |
| Native Name Lang: | Ar |
| Predecessor: | Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |
| Term Start: | 12 March 2023 |
Sheikha Al-Zain Sabah Al-Naser Al-Sabah also Al-Zain S. Al-Sabah (Arabic: الشيخة الزين الصباح) is the Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States.[1]
Previously, Al-Zain occupied the roles of Chairperson and CEO at the National Creative Industries Group (NCIG) KSCC, an organization headquartered in Kuwait dedicated to fostering, incubating, and growing the creative arts and TMT-based industries within the MENA region. Before this, Al-Zain served as the Under Secretary of State in Kuwait’s Ministry for Youth Affairs, an emergent governmental body tasked with the creation of national strategies to promote innovation, civic participation, and entrepreneurship among the youth of Kuwait.[2] [3] During her tenure, Kuwait received recognition as the Capital of Arab Youth, and witnessed the formulation of its inaugural national youth policy.[4]
Sheikha Al-Zain is a pioneering social entrepreneur and film/TV producer. Her mission has centered around building equitable policies for creative communities in the larger MENA region, whilst providing a haven for talented regional storytellers to operate. The majority of her undertakings center around messages of peace and plurality.
In 2009, she co-produced Amreeka, an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The film went on to win both the Fipresci Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Best Film Award at the Cairo International Film Festival.
Al-Zain also co-produced Journey to Mecca, an award-winning documentary about Islamic scholar Ibn Battuta's journey from Morocco to Saudi Arabia.[5]
In her former role as chairperson and CEO of National Creative Industries Group (NCIG) KSCC, an organization she founded to produce impact-driven content that bridges the dichotomy between the eastern and western markets, Al-Zain oversaw the completion of the company’s multi-media studio campus, the largest privately held facility of its kind in the region, and hub for a number of acclaimed regional TV shows. Alongside its production and facilitation sectors, the organization also runs a robust arm, and has partnered with Netflix to build and operate their first writers’ incubator/accelerator in the MENA region.[6]
Prior to heading NCIG, Al-Zain served as the Undersecretary of State for Youth Affairs in Kuwait,[7] where she spearheaded a number of initiatives, including building the country’s first short film fund, drafting the first local National Youth Policy, and working with the Arab League on programs that resulted in the naming of Kuwait as the “Youth Capital of the Middle East”.[8]
A vocal proponent for inclusion and diversity in the media/entertainment sectors, Al-Zain serves on the board of several organizations including Boston University’s COM Board, the Equality Now Board, the 10 Arts Foundation at the New York Film Academy, and formerly, the OSN Board of Directors,[9] where she served as Vice-Chair.
Prior to her ventures in the private and public sectors, Al Zain worked in Boston and in New York, where she was on staff at ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.[10] She had also worked as producer on a number of Kuwaiti political talk shows.
A recipient of the Arab Woman Award for “Inspirational Woman of the Year 2015”, the Leaders Middle East “Power Women of Arabia” Award 2015,[11] the United Arab Media Council’s 2017 “Haithem Media Award”,[12] and the Boston University College of Communication's Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Profession 2010,[13] Al-Zain is a MELI fellow at the Aspen Institute and holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University's Collection of Communication as well as an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.