Riyadh: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Thursday issued an order appointing Dr Hala Al-Tuwaijri as head of the Human Rights Commission with the rank of minister to succeed Awad Al-Awwad, who was relieved of his post, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
This is the first time for a woman to hold this position since the commission was established in 2005. Hala Al-Tuwaijri has been the Secretary-General of the Family Affairs Council in the Kingdom since June 2017.
Hala Al-Tuwaijri headed the women’s empowerment team in the Group of Twenty, and has also been an administrative advisor at the Ministry of Human Development since April 2021.
Al-Tuwaijri is also a member of the advisory committee for the Princess Noura Award for Women’s Excellence, and a member of the advisory board for the cultural program in the Saudi Arab Society for Culture and Heritage.
In addition, Hala Al-Tuwaijri is a member of the Women’s Committee at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the Women’s Work Committee at the Arab Labor Organization.
She previously held the position of Vice Dean of the Department of English Language and Literature at the College of Arts at King Saud University, and also held the position of Vice Dean of the College, where she was a teaching assistant after graduating.
In 2021, Hala Al-Tuwaijri was awarded the King Abdulaziz Medal of the Second Class, and she holds a doctorate in English literature from King Saud University.
The Saudi monarch ordered the appointment of Awad Al-Awwad, who has headed the commission since August 2019, as an advisor to the Royal Court with the rank of minister, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
