Dr Sara Alqaiwani

Dr Sara Alqaiwani (PhD, International History, LSE) is a guest teacher at LSE, J-Term Visiting Professor at NYUAD and an Associate of the LSE Middle East Centre. She is also a professionally trained opera singer. Fluent in English, French, Persian and Arabic, her interests are on MENA, decolonization, gender and the performing arts. Her PhD was titled Nationalism, Revolution and Feminism: Women in Egypt and Iran from 1880-1980. She has taught courses on global history, decolonization, gender, MENA and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

From 2017 to 2020 Sara combined her teaching with work as Senior Political Analyst and Advisor to the UAE Ambassador to the UK. As a singer, she has collaborated with renowned conductors (Marco Boemi, Sascha Goetzel), performed in operatic concerts at international festivals (Abu Dhabi, Santander), world-class venues (Palais Garnier Opera de Paris), and with world-class musicians (Renee Fleming and Dresden Philharmonic). In 2020 she was shortlisted for the UK Asian Women of Achievement Awards, and in 2022 was the recipient of an International BraVo Classical Music Award. In 2023 she was commissioned to produce a recording of songs with the London Chamber Orchestra. This project inspired the design of her new course ‘Singing Revolution’ for NYUAD, which will run at NYU-London in May 2026.

Expertise Details: Women's movements, Egypt, Iran, Arab-Israeli conflict, Decolonisation, Song and Resistance