The Emirati lawyer became the chief executive and registrar of DIFC Courts in 2017, after being the deputy chief executive of the Dispute Resolution Authority in 2014.

Al Owais has played a major role in the development of DIFC Courts, particularly in creating the Dispute Resolution Authority and the Pro-Bono Programme, the first of its kind in the Middle East. She is also an avid supporter of women’s progress in the UAE, telling Arabian Business in February that 80 percent of the staff at DIFC Courts are women.

Al Owais joined DIFC Courts in 2006 after practising as a lawyer in the litigation department with leading UAE law firm Hadef & Partners. She is also the deputy registrar of the Dubai World Tribunal, chairwoman of the DIFC Courts’ Users’ Committee and a member of the Consulting Council for the University of Sharjah College of Law.