Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
After months of mingling with royalty, VIPs and diplomatic high-flyers Karen El Zein is setting off on a new career in banking in Bahrain.
The statuesque brunette has been featured in many photo shoots in the island's glossy magazines mingling with world leaders and says she will never forget the experience as political, press and public affairs officer of the British Embassy in Bahrain.
Karen, 27, who lives with her family in Budaiya, said: "I will be taking with me my communication and public relations skills. I have been working closely with a great management team and have become accustomed to perfection and meticulous detail which are both very handy tools for any successful career."
During her 18-month stint at the Manama embassy Karen rubbed shoulders with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall; the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, former British Prime Minster and now Middle East envoy Tony Blair, amongst others.
Each of them presented her with a little keepsake souvenir and thanked her for the hard work she put in during their visits to Bahrain.
She said: "Working in the British Embassy has a prestige linked to it. There is no dull moment, it's all very exciting and every day is different. I remember when I first joined my line manager at the time said that it was usually quieter in the summer ... and I am still waiting for that 'quiet time'!
"The most exciting part of the job is its diversity - royal visits, managing media and public relations, handling project work and much more."
Royal visits in particular need to be meticulously managed and at times the preparation was tedious but Karen says she felt "truly privileged" being given the opportunity to meet them in person.
"My most unforgettable moment was when I met Prince Charles and Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa - receiving appreciation for my work from such icons was the best reward I could ever ask for."
Karen was born in London to an English/Iraqi mother and a Lebanese father. Her childhood was spent between Saudi Arabia, the UK and Lebanon. She graduated from the Lebanese American University having received a double major in international affairs and political science with an emphasis in international economics.
Bahrain has been her home for more than four years. She said: "I grew up in a multi-cultural environment which opened very exciting realms and horizons.
"People are usually shocked when I speak to them in my Iraqi-Bahraini accent because 'Karen' does not quite shout Arabic. I have to generally explain the background and that my British grandmother chose my name, which originates from Katherine meaning 'pure'." Today she lives with her folks, Dina and Pradeep and her sister Karlouchi, 17, in Budaiya.
Beginning April she will begin a new career with the Ithmaar Bank as an associate working in the Private Equity Group, Placement Division.
She said: "I am very excited about my new job and before I turn 30 I hope to get my master's degree in international law, have my own house and visit Cuba, Mexico, Switzerland and Japan."
The embassy is now looking for a suitable replacement who, like Karen, is conversant in English and Arabic.
