Saudi Arabia's Shihana Alazzaz Appointed as Chairperson of Intellectual Property Authority, Previously Deputy Secretary General of the Cabinet
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman appointed Shihana Alazzaz as the new chairperson of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property.
Alazzaz was previously the deputy secretary general of the Council of Ministers but was relieved of her duties by a royal decree from King Salman.
She was the first woman to hold the deputy secretary general position, which she had held since July 2022.
Before that, Alazzaz served as secretary general and general counsel of the Board of Directors of the Public Investment Fund since August 2018.
The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property is a government body responsible for protecting and supporting intellectual property in the Kingdom.
In 2017, Alazzaz joined the Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the head of transactions in the Legal Division.
She was a member of PIF's Management Committee and other executive committees.
Alazzaz chairs and serves on several boards and board committees of PIF portfolio companies.
She earned a bachelor's degree in law with honors from Durham University in the UK.
Before joining PIF, Alazzaz practiced law for nine years with various international law firms, including Baker McKenzie and Vinson & Elkins.
She is licensed to practice law in the Supreme Court of New York in the US and by the Ministry of Justice.
Alazzaz began her legal career as an associate at Baker McKenzie and later became a senior associate at Vinson & Elkins, where she was promoted to counsel in 2016.
In 2017, after leaving her previous firm, Alazzaz became the head of transactions at PIF (Public Investment Fund) in Saudi Arabia.
She is a pioneering female lawyer in the country and has spoken at various motivational conferences and seminars, such as the annual conference of international affairs at the American University of Colorado.
In 2016, Alazzaz was recognized as "The Deal Maker," and in 2020, she was included in Forbes Middle East's list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.