Dr. Al Amiry was raised in Amman, Damascus and Cairo before residing in Ramallah. She taught at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Birzeit University from 1982 to 1996. In 1991 she founded RIWAQ, an NGO dedicated to preserving Palestinian collective memory through the restoration of architectural heritage sites in rural Palestine. RIWAQ was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2013, the Curry Stone Design Prize in 2012, the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, and the Qattan Distinction Award. Al Amiry is the author of several books about architecture in Palestine. Her first novel entitled Sharon and My Mother-in-Law in 2004 was translated into 20 languages and won several literary awards. This book was followed by other novels.
Dr. Al Amiry is a board member of the Palestine Festival of Literature-PalFest. She served on the board of the negotiating team in Washington from 1991-1993 and also served as Undersecretary General of the Ministry of Culture. Dr. Al Amiry was previously Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees.
