Ameena Qotba

Ameena Abdullah Abdurahman Qotba, widely known as Mama Ameena or Aunt Ameena, is a perfume and business consultant and a certified trainer in protocol and culture. Alongside her husband, His Excellency Counsellor Ali Al-Zainal, she experienced several diplomatic postings and became a generous supporter of ambitious people and creative achievement.

In 1984, she married Ali Al-Zainal, the country’s first French-language teacher, who later headed French-language guidance.

She was born in Doha’s Al Najma district in 1965 into a Qatari family devoted to learning and culture, in a home filled with Qur’anic recitation and several memorisers of the Holy Qur’an. Her mother, Jameela Abdullah Yousuf, memorised the Qur’an at thirteen, opened her home to teach it to women and children, became Qatar’s first officially appointed female ritual washer of the deceased and was named an exemplary mother in Qatar on several occasions. Her father was among the founders of the Qatar National Library.

A naturally sociable child, she spent much of her time in the neighbourhood comforting women who had lost their children and offering them the companionship of a daughter. She also formed a large ambition: to represent her country and society abroad. Her brother, Dr Mohammed Qotba, assumed a fatherly role after the death of the head of the family and encouraged that ambition because he recognised her ability to unite thought, language, conduct and purpose.

Growing up in Fareej Al Najma reinforced humility, generosity and mutual care. Residents formed one extended family, sharing celebrations and supporting one another through hardship; young women exchanged dresses and jewellery so that no one felt diminished by her circumstances. That communal spirit became a lasting part of Mama Ameena’s character.

Her family also placed her among people active in education and public life. Dr Mohammed Qotba contributed to Qatar University, the Ministry of Education, Qatar Foundation, the media, literature and poetry. Her brother His Excellency Judge Khaled Qotba was known for integrity, discipline and humanity. Other siblings included the late Abdul Rahman Qotba, Dr Hamda Qotba, Aisha Qotba and Maryam Qotba.

While she was in her final year of secondary school, she became engaged to Ali Al-Zainal and grew close to his sister-in-law, Magda Salem, wife of His Excellency Musa Zainal, one of the founders of Qatar’s Ministry of Culture. Time spent with teachers strengthened her academic distinction. In 1995, Dr Mohammed Qotba was offered the post of Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, but a sudden illness prevented him from taking it. Among the names he recommended was Ali Al-Zainal, who in 2001 was appointed Qatar’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO on the strength of his French and English and the trust placed in him by the state.

Even during his illness, Dr Mohammed continued to support his sister, paying for sight-correction surgery in Bahrain despite his limited means because he believed she would become an accomplished society figure. She had thought his prediction no more than affectionate encouragement. Days after her return to Qatar, he died; only then did she understand how carefully he had prepared the way for her husband’s diplomatic service. Together with his wife, Aisha Al Emadi, he had even assembled everything needed for the journey.

Her husband’s diplomatic appointment prompted her to prepare for a new public role. In Paris, she attended major events and took part in official visits to more than fifteen countries. She used each setting to present Qatari culture, defended her hijab and identity when challenged, and established herself through knowledge, presence and elegance.

She also regarded the progress of Qatari students in France as a reflection of her country. A number of those she supported later entered diplomatic service in European capitals as consuls, first secretaries and second secretaries.

At home, she guarded the religious and cultural values she wanted her four children to retain. Beyond her family, she welcomed Qatari students, diplomats’ wives and others in need, opening her home to those far from their families until ‘Mama Ameena’ and ‘Aunt Ameena’ became titles of genuine affection.

She inherited from her mother the ritual washing of the deceased. While abroad, she carried burial shrouds for herself and loved ones, and supplied them whenever a Muslim died far from home. Her care extended to expatriate Muslims as well as Qataris.

Life abroad also brought severe personal trials. She experienced repeated health problems and four miscarriages, at times facing them alone because her husband’s official responsibilities prevented him from remaining beside her.

After contracting Covid-19, she lost her senses of taste and smell for a year and a half. Although visitors could not reach her during the illness, she received dozens of calls, including from families of students she had welcomed. Throughout the diplomatic years, she carried much of the practical burden created by her husband’s office and took primary responsibility for raising their children while his time belonged to public service.

Her own education continued in Paris. She studied religions at the École du Louvre so that she could speak knowledgeably in defence of her faith, attended the Higher Institute of Arts and completed a master’s degree in project management. She then helped create an Arab-French perfume brand whose composition brought Eastern and Western influences together, establishing her professional standing as a perfume consultant.

She contributed to the development of a perfume line and to introducing the Jivana brand into shops in Qatar. After returning home, she began a new phase of work in project development, carrying forward the cultural and professional experience accumulated abroad.