Maria Chalhoub is a Swedish diplomat and recently took up the role as Deputy Director at the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa (SDI). Prior to joining the SDI, Maria worked for the MENA-department at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. Maria has an extensive background in the field of mediation and conflict resolution. Prior to joining the Swedish foreign service, she worked for various peace and security organisations including the Folke Bernadotte Academy and the European Institute of Peace. Maria holds an MLitt degree in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Security Studies from the University of St Andrews.