The first Bahraini woman ambassador

Bahrain on Sunday appointed its first ambassador abroad, Sheikha Haya bint Rashed Al Khalifa, who has become her country's ambassador to France.

A Bahraini government official said in a statement to reporters in Manama on Sunday that Sheikha Haya, who is a lawyer, will replace Ali Fakhrou, the former minister of higher education, who worked as an ambassador for his country to France.

Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa of Bahrain,who succeeded his late father in March, vowed to give women a greater role in the country's affairs.