Hanan Sayed Worrell is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and a specialist in the formulation and development of complex international and cultural projects, with an emphasis on strategic, civic, and business objectives. She has over 25 years of international experience in the public and private sectors, including arts and culture, education, environment, energy, and aviation.

Worrell provides cultural, strategic, and development advice to a number of institutions, while also establishing partnerships, relationships, and projects in the Gulf region, building on her earlier experience in management consulting with a leading practice in New York. As a native Arabic speaker and long-term resident of the Gulf, she has contributed professionally to several of the most impactful projects in the region including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and New York University Abu Dhabi. She is currently the senior representative for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in Abu Dhabi, with responsibilities for the planning and development of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum in Saadiyat Cultural District.

Worrell has held senior positions in the Abu Dhabi government where she was responsible for the strategy, development, master planning, design, and construction of the Abu Dhabi International Airport expansion, Presidential Flight, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Conservation and Breeding Centers, Nature Reserves, Botanical Gardens, and Wildlife Park. She earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and Master of Science in civil engineering and construction engineering management from Stanford University. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and American Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi. She served on the boards of the American Community School of Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Mentorship Program as well as the selection committee for the NYUAD Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program.