Introducing Our New Regional Director, MENA: Mahmoud Roushdi
Promoting Queens is proud to announce a new chapter in our mission to empower girls through chess. We are excited to welcome Mahmoud Roushdi as our Regional Director for MENA (Middle East and North Africa), a partnership that will bring the spirit of Promoting Queens to girls across the region, starting in Egypt.
A Trainer With a Track Record of Impact
Mahmoud Roushdi is a FIDE-certified trainer and arbiter with a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering, but he is best known for the humanitarian work he has built through chess. For over five years, Mahmoud has dedicated himself to community service through his initiative, Chess for Every Child, bringing structured chess education to children in orphanages, impoverished schools, youth centers, and refugee and autistic communities across Cairo.
Rooted in the philosophy of "Pay it Forward," Mahmoud's work uses chess as a tool for critical thinking, problem solving, and social inclusion. He has organized regular lessons, trained teachers, run friendly tournaments, and led outreach events that have reached some of the most underserved communities in Egypt. His strategic partnership with The Gift of Chess has helped distribute over 1,000 chess sets, building a sustainable local network of chess educators along the way.
Mahmoud wears many hats in this work. He is a coach, a teacher, a coordinator, and an organizer, collaborating with institutions such as the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and the Police Sector to widen the reach and impact of his programs. Among his notable achievements are the Second Republic Championship for School Chess 2024 and special training sessions for the children of injured and fallen Egyptian police officers.
By focusing on marginalized youth, Mahmoud's work has built more than chess skills. It has built confidence, community engagement, and a vision for a brighter future.
Bringing Promoting Queens to Egypt
As our new Regional Director for MENA, Mahmoud will lead the launch of Promoting Queens' newest initiative in Egypt. He has already laid important groundwork, meeting with BAB, a nonprofit organization in Egypt, to establish a partnership that will host the Promoting Queens initiative and provide a space for programming to take place.
This partnership marks the start of Promoting Queens' presence in the MENA region and reflects the same values that have guided our work everywhere else: using chess as a tool for confidence, strategic thinking, decision-making, communication, teamwork, and leadership among girls and young women.
A Foundation Already in Motion
Mahmoud's momentum in this space extends beyond Egypt. In Morocco, he has guided Noun Gambit through "Chess for Leadership," a project designed to empower girls and young women through chess and life-skills development. Running over 16 days starting on 24 July, the project reached approximately 25 female participants from different backgrounds.
The programme combined 8 chess workshops with 4 life-skills workshops, inspirational meetings with women role models, and a closing community chess tournament and ceremony. The goal throughout was to use chess as a tool to build strategic thinking, confidence, decision-making, communication, teamwork, and leadership skills, outcomes the project delivered in full. Participants left with greater confidence, sharper strategic thinking and decision-making, stronger teamwork and communication, and a renewed motivation to keep playing.
The work does not stop at the closing ceremony. Noun Gambit, with Mahmoud's guidance, is now developing a structured, long-term coaching plan to help participants keep progressing, since real improvement in chess comes from regular, progressive training rather than a single programme. The plan also aims to keep participants active in the game and encourage them to compete in official tournaments. Because several participants are still students, there are plans to help them start chess clubs at their schools. Two schools have already been identified where participating girls can become chess ambassadors, introducing the game to their peers and helping build a sustainable local chess community.
This is the kind of groundwork that makes Mahmoud such a strong fit to lead Promoting Queens in the MENA region: a proven ability to guide partners toward turning a short-term programme into lasting community impact.
Building on that relationship, Promoting Queens plans to launch its own initiative in Morocco in partnership with Noun Gambit, once Mahmoud provides them with chess sets, marking another step in his growing footprint across the MENA region.
A Shared Vision
Mahmoud's dedication to underprivileged and marginalized communities in Egypt aligns closely with Promoting Queens' mission. His years of grassroots experience, his credibility as a FIDE-certified trainer, and his deep community ties make him uniquely positioned to lead this expansion.
We are grateful for his commitment and excited for what lies ahead as Promoting Queens begins its journey in the MENA region. Together, we look forward to helping more girls discover the game of chess and the confidence, community, and opportunity that come with it.
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