Maitha Al Shamsi is currently heading the Community Empowerment sector at the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai, and she works to provide social services and empowerment programs to low-income families, the elderly, people of determination, and other vulnerable groups. She joined CDA 11 years ago and has held the position of CEO in key sectors at CDA such as the Human Rights Sector and the Financial Benefits and Empowerment sector.

Prior to joining CDA, Al Shamsi held a number of vital positions in the government and private sector, including Director General of Dubai Women Establishment, Legal Advisor at the Executive Office of the Government of Dubai, Legal Advisor at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Executive Officer at Citibank, and was a partner at Hamdan Al Shamsi Law Firm in the UAE.

Al Shamsi holds a bachelor’s degree in civil law with honors from University College Dublin, Ireland, and a diploma in Islamic law and a master’s in company and corporate law from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

She also has held numerous memberships in different committees and task forces at the government level such as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Food Bank, as well as the Committee of the Universal Periodic Reports for Human Rights for the UAE at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was a member of the Sectoral Committee-Security and Justice of The Executive Council of Dubai and a member of the Women Sports Committee at the Dubai Sports Council.