Eng. Maha Al-Ali received a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Jordanian-German University / Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business in 2009, Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Jordan in 1996, and a Diploma in Trade Policy from the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999.
Al-Ali worked at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply since 1998, and was appointed Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply in 2015/2016.
Prior to holding the portfolio of the Ministry, Al-Ali held several leadership positions at the Ministry, including the Secretary General of the Ministry (2010), Assistant Secretary General for Technical Affairs, and Director of the Directorate of Policies and Foreign Trade Relations. She also served as the Economic Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Jordan to the United Nations in Geneva (2002).
During her work at the ministry, Al-Ali was a member of the negotiation team for Jordan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the free trade agreements between Jordan and the United States, Singapore, Canada, and Turkey.
Al-Ali also excels in executive leadership roles at multiple enterprises. She serves as Deputy Chairman of Board of Directors of Jordan’s Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) since 2017, Deputy Chairman of Board of Directors of Arab Women Forum of Renewable Energy – Arab Renewable Energy Commission, since 2018. Member of the Executive Committee of the Academy of International Business - AIB/MENA Chapter, since 2017 and Levant Outreach for AIB - MENA Chapter, Member of Board of Trustees of the National Association for Investor Protection since 2017, and Member of Business & Professional Women Association – BPWA Jordan since 2017.
Al-Ali was ranked the 8th most powerful Arab woman in government by Forbes Middle East in 2015.
She was awarded the Royal Medal of the 3rd order by HM King Abdullah II of Jordan in appreciation of efficiency in civil service (2008), and Royal Medal of the 5th order by HM King Abdullah II of Jordan in appreciation of efforts of the negotiating team of the Jordan – US Free Trade Area Agreement (2000). Al-Ali is also the recipient of the Governor General’s Medallion by the Right Honourable David Johnston Governor General of Canada in appreciation of efforts exerted in fostering greater ties between Jordan and Canada (2016).
When asked for her best advice for young aspiring students Al-Ali said, "Education is a blessing. The years you spend studying at the university constitute an important mile stone in your life as they prepare you to a new journey that is full of adventures, opportunities and challenges".
"Set clear goals for yourself; follow your passion and always remember the Chinese proverb: “Teachers open the door, but you must walk through it yourself”. It is only through hard work, dedication and self-improvement that you can succeed in both your personal life and professional life," she added.