H.E. Maria Belovas is the Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the United Arab Emirates since August 2024. She is Ambassador-designate to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait and the State of Qatar. Ambassador Belovas is also appointed Estonia’s permanent representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Maria Belovas has over 15 years of experience in international relations and diplomacy, including more than half of her career in leadership roles. She is an expert in strategic communication, nation branding, partnership management and public diplomacy.
Prior to her current appointment she served as Estonia’s Consul General in San Francisco focusing on tech diplomacy and trade and investment promotion. She relocated to the U.S. west coast from Washington, D.C. where she led the European Union Delegation’s communication and branding efforts as head of Press and Public Diplomacy for 5 years.
Ambassador Belovas has also been posted to Estonian embassies in Lisbon and Washington and held the position of Director General for Communication at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She has a BA in journalism and public relations from Tartu University and a Master of Science degree (with distinction) in behavioral and organizational psychology from London Metropolitan University.
She is fluent in Estonian and English languages, proficient in Swedish, adequate in Russian and Spanish and has basic knowledge of French, Portuguese, Italian, Latin, German and Arabic.