Lilah El Sayed
Lilah brings extensive experience in strategic communications, research, and program design and delivery. She currently serves as Senior Program Associate at Hedayah, where she leads a range of messaging, curriculum development, and capacity-building programs in multiple languages. Lilah also manages one of Hedayah’s flagship programs focusing on messaging for religious and community leaders.
Since joining Hedayah in 2013, Lilah has held multiple roles across the organization. For the past five years, she worked in the Programs Department, following nearly five years contributing to research and analysis, in addition to supporting the Executive Office, and serving as Hedayah’s legal translator.
At Hedayah, Lilah focuses on messaging and counter-messaging through strategic communications for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as Central Asia, the Western Balkans, Southeast Asia, and East and Southeastern Africa. She has led and contributed to key resources and publications on strategic communications and messaging development in the context of countering extremism and violent extremism. Her work also explores the intersection of policy and gender, including efforts to advance women’s roles in prevention efforts.
Prior to joining Hedayah, Lilah served as a military field interpreter for the U.A.E. Armed Forces and Presidential Guard Command, with a particular focus on assisting female personnel. She also conducted Arabic and English language training programs at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit #3, the American University in Cairo, and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, and was contracted by the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, VA, USA.
Lilah holds two master’s degrees: one in Religion, Politics and Citizenship from the University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro and the University of Padua in (2020), and another in International Law, Diplomacy and International Relations from Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (2016).