Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran (original) (raw)

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Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran is one of the first four female attorneys in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Zahran trained as a legal consultant for three years, representing dozens of clients in family disputes, criminal and civil cases. Her initial focus was domestic violence, but she later studied the cases of financial and criminal prisoners.[1]

In May 2013, Arwa Al-Hujaili became the first trainee woman lawyer in Saudi Arabia.[2][3] In November 2013, the Saudi Ministry of Justice licensed the first four women lawyers: Sara Aalamri, Bayan Al-Zahran, Jehan Qurban and Ameera Quqani.[4] Prior to the licensing of the Saudi women, female law graduates were only allowed to serve as legal consultants.

Al-Zahran represented a client before the General Court in Jeddah for the first time in November 2013.[5]

On January 1, 2014, Al-Zahran founded Saudi Arabia's first all-woman law firm.[6] She said that the purpose of her law firm was to bring Saudi women's problems before the court and to fight for their rights.[5] Mazen Batterjee, Vice President of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, attended the firm's opening, congratulating the women while cautioning them to follow Sharia law and court restrictions requiring that women wear hijab.[5]

Dubai-based magazine Arabian Business rated Al-Zahran the seventh most powerful Arab woman in its 2015 list.[7] She was also included in Fortune magazine's 2015 list of the world's 50 greatest leaders.[8] She is the daughter of Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Zahran.[5]

  1. ^ "Saudi Arabia grants license to first female lawyer". Al Arabiya. 7 October 2013.
  2. ^ Valentine, Simon Ross (2015). Force and Fanaticism: Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and Beyond. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781849044646.
  3. ^ "Saudi Arabia". International Studies. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  4. ^ "Bayan Mahmoud al-Zahran—A Saudi Woman with a Mission - Fanack.com". Fanack.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  5. ^ a b c d Khan, Fouzia (3 January 2014). "First female law firm opened in Jeddah". Arab News.
  6. ^ Iaccino, Ludovica (7 January 2014). "Saudi Arabia Opens First Female Law Firm". International Business Times.
  7. ^ "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women: Bayan Mahmoud Al Zahran". Arabian Business. 3 March 2014.
  8. ^ "World's Greatest Leaders: Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran". Fortune. 2015.