London: The Oxford Union has elected for the first time in its 202-year history a Palestinian student as its president, Maktoobmedia.com reported.
Arwa Hanin Elrayess, a Palestinian-Algerian student of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Edmund’s Hall, will lead one of the United Kingdom’s oldest university societies during the Trinity (summer) term of 2026.
Arwa Hanin Elrayess, actively involved in student organising and advocacy, currently serves on the Union’s standing committee.
Elrayess helped making the documentary Heart of a Protest which brought to fore solidarity demonstrations held in London for Palestine.
Responding to her historic win, her father Mohamed Elrayess wrote on LinkedIn: ‘Very proud of my daughter… for making history as the first Arab female, the first Palestinian, and the first Algerian to be elected President of the Oxford Union.’
Elrayess bagged 757 first-preference votes, 150 more than her nearest rival in the polls that recorded 1,528 voter turnout, higher than the previous term.
Founded in 1823, the Oxford Union is well-known for debates, workshops featuring high-profile global figures alongside supporting public speaking and debating skills.