Zaineb Al-Samarai

Zaineb Al-Samarai
President of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2023
First Vice President	Arne Bård Dalhaug
Second Vice President	Sondre Sande Gullord
Preceded by	Berit Kjøll
Deputy Member of the Storting
In office 1 October 2017 – 30 September 2021
Constituency	Oslo
Personal details
Born	(1987-10-22) 22 October 1987 (age 37)
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jan Erik Fåne

Zaineb Al-Samarai (born 22 October 1987) is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She is currently serving as the president of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports since 2023. She previously served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Oslo from 2017 to 2021.[1]

Hailing from Iraq, her family fled to Norway in 1994. Settling in Holmlia, Al-Samarai was elected to Oslo city council in 2011 and 2015 and has chaired Holmlia SK. She is a jurist by education.^[citation needed]

In June 2023, she was elected President of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports, defeating incumbent Berit Kjøll in a 138–29 vote.[2] She became the first person with a minority background to hold the position.[3]

Personal life

She is married to Jan Erik Fåne.[4] In November 2023, she announced that she and Fåne were expecting a child and would go on paternity leave from March 2024.[5]

References

1. "Flyktet fra Irak. Nå kan Zaineb (28) bli Hadias arvtaker". 22 September 2016.
2. "Høy temperatur før Al-Samarai vant presidentvalget: "Verdensmesterskapet i å snakke stygt"" (in Norwegian). NRK Sport. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
3. "FØRSTE FLERKULTURELLE IDRETTSPRESIDENT: − JEG TROR HUN VIL BETY MYE FOR MANGE" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
4. "Idrettens nye førstedame: – Jeg er ferdig med å være et talent" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
5. "ZAINEB AL-SAMARAI ER GRAVID" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.