RIYADH — Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman issued on Wednesday an order appointing Shihana Alazzaz, advisor at the Royal Court, as chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. The authority is an official government body responsible for the protection and supporting the intellectual property in the Kingdom. Earlier on the day, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman issued a royal decree relieving Alazzaz of the post of deputy secretary general of the Council of Ministers. She was the first woman to hold this position after being appointed to the post by the King in July 2022. Alazzaz had been serving as secretary general and general counsel of the Board of Directors of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) since August 2018 until her appointment as deputy secretary general of the Cabinet. She joined PIF as head of transactions in the Legal Division in 2017. Alazzaz was also a member of the PIF's Management Committee and other executive committees. She chairs and serves on several boards and board committees of PIF portfolio companies. Alazzaz holds a bachelor's degree in law with honors from Durham University in UK. Prior to joining PIF, Alazzaz was a practicing lawyer for nine years with multiple international law firms. She obtained her license to practice law by the Supreme Court of New York in the United States and by the Ministry of Justice. After graduation, Alazzaz worked as an associate at law firm Baker McKenzie for over three years and then she joined Vinson & Elkins, where she served as a senior associate for almost five years until 2016 when she was promoted to counsel. After leaving the firm, she joined PIF as head of transactions in 2017. Alazzaz is considered as one of the first female lawyers in Saudi Arabia. She participated in many conferences and seminars aimed at motivating and supporting young people, including the annual conference of international affairs at the American University of Colorado. Alazzaz was named as "The Deal Maker" in 2016, and was chosen among the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2020 by Forbes Middle East.
