Mrs. Chahid studied anthropology and psychology at the American University of Beirut and worked in Palestinian refugee camps until 1974. She was politically active in Europe as the official representative of the PLO to Ireland in 1989 and Director of the PLO Information Office in the Hague, serving as the Palestinian representative in the Netherlands and Denmark. From 1993-2005, she represented Palestine in France and since 2006, Mrs. Chahid has held the post of Commissioner General for Palestine to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg.