Amal Hamidallah has a special expertise that spans the geographical regions of the Middle East and covers several areas such as conflict prevention, post-conflict analysis, strategy development, analysis and programming, regional and geopolitical dynamics, reconciliation, security, social cohesion, and transitional politics, including constitutional affairs and electoral processes.
She is a lawyer, with solid engagement in the international affairs. Following the uprisings across the MENA region, she has built an all-encompassing portfolio of experience in advocacy, policy planning and political risk. She brings her legal and political analytical skills to advise a variety of organizations on development goals and provides a holistic study of research areas.
She has a post-graduate diploma in law and several years of hands-on experience, in designing, overseeing, and implementing development, governance, and humanitarian policies. Her experience in the humanitarian and the Rule of Law sector has strengthened her capacity to engage and work in war-torn and conflict areas. She worked for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) as Country Director for Iraq. She was Head of the Middle East region with Geneva Call foundation, in Switzerland. She led programs and field operations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon focusing on International Humanitarian Law awareness-raising, and working closely with ICRC field delegates and head of missions in a complementarity framework.
Her previous work included aslo a position as a program officer in the development aid sector, managing small and medium grants for NGOs in the global South, then in advocacy, capacity building, and strengthening of local civil society groups with Amnesty international. Based in Baghdad Hamidallah worked as a Senior Rule of Law & Human Rights Expert in the EU project Strengthening the efficiency and credibility of the criminal justice system and enhancing the rule of law in Iraq.
She is the Director of “The Arab Gulf Foundation” implementing and overseeing projects funded by the European Union and the Government of the Netherlands from 2008-2015. She is field specialist in the Middle East region, especially in engaging with civil society, rule of law, peace, and reconciliation programs, building resilience, and strengthening local capacities and ownership.