Al Hashimy began her career as Commercial Attaché, and subsequently Deputy Chief, of the UAE Embassy to the United States of America in Washington D.C.[2]
She was appointed Minister of State in the Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates in February 2008.[3][4] She was appointed to her current role as UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation in February 2016.[2][5]
She chairs the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals in the UAE.[6] She was formerly chair of the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.[1] She is Chairperson of Dubai Cares[7] and the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. In September 2022, she became the first female Emirati politician to deliver a speech for the UAE at the UN General Assembly.[8] She led the successful bid to host the World expo in Dubai. In June 2014, she was appointed Managing Director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee, and Director General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau.[9]
In an interview on CNN[10] and in response to the opposition to the Abraham accords She said "in the Arab world and in the Middle East by and large there are certainly "naysayers" but in the UAE we believe very strongly in the need to open conversation and ties (with Israel). She has met the Israeli Foreign minister Yair Lapid on Dubai Expo grounds in 2021,[11] and has previously slammed the 7th of October attack on Israel as “barbaric” and call for the unconditional release of the hostages,[12] She has also met Israeli Ambassador on occasion of end of his tenure in UAE on 9th of October 2024 (two days after the anniversary of 7th of October) and has affirmed the UAE’s unwavering position in rejecting violence and escalation that serve to further increase the risks of instability. [13]
Expo 2020 Dubai
In 2011, Al Hashimy was appointed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to the role of Managing Director of the Higher Committee for Hosting the World Expo 2020.[14] She led the successful bid to host the World expo in Dubai.[15] In June 2014, she was appointed Managing Director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee, and Director General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau.[16][17] The event, which was delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[18] eventually welcomed 24.1 million visitors over six months between October 2021 and March 2022.[19]
A conversation between Al Hashimy and composer A. R. Rahman in 2019 led to the creation of the all-women Firdaus Orchestra.[20] In July 2022, it was announced that she would continue her work as CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority.[21]
Personal life
Reem Al Hashimy comes from a prominent Emirati family with a long history of involvement in public service and government. Her father, Dr. Saeed Al Hashimy, was a former UAE Minister of State.
