Shaima Gargash has served in the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) since early 2012, holding a range of strategic and diplomatic roles. In July 2023, she was appointed as the Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy for Climate and COP28, leading MOFA’s engagement in COP28 and supporting the UAE Presidency on diplomatic outreach and negotiations. In June 2024, she assumed the role of Director of Energy & Sustainability, where she continues to oversee the Ministry’s work on climate change, energy, food, nature, health, and water within an integrated sustainability framework, while also establishing and developing this new sector within MOFA.

During her tenure, Ms. Gargash spent eight years at the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C., managing congressional affairs, communications, and public diplomacy. She also served as Deputy Chief of Mission for four and a half years, contributing to the strengthening of UAE–U.S. bilateral relations. Before her diplomatic posting, she worked as a Policy Analyst in MOFA’s Policy Planning Department, focusing on development, trade, energy, and gender-related policy.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ms. Gargash worked as an Economist at the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance (DoF), where she helped develop fiscal policy for the Emirate in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Earlier, at the UAE Ministry of Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA), she managed research, policy, and legal reviews in close collaboration with the UAE Parliament. Her work included contributing to national committees addressing human rights, gender equality, and the fight against human trafficking. During this period, she co-authored a research paper with the Dubai School of Government (now the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government) titled “Women’s Political Participation in the UAE”, which examined Emirati women’s involvement in the country’s first parliamentary elections in 2006, as well as additional policy studies on women’s roles in the UAE.

At the start of her career, Ms. Gargash worked in the private sector in research, real estate, and corporate banking in Dubai, and also founded two businesses before transitioning into public service.

Ms. Gargash holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in International Relations from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Dubai School of Government. She is the proud mother of four children.