Amal Alamuddin, the British barrister who is to marry Hollywood favourite George Clooney, is no stranger to the Gulf: her impressive CV includes a stint providing legal advice to Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa in 2011, specifically in connection with the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). The 36-year-old, who is of Lebanese descent, speaks Arabic and French and has particular expertise in international criminal law and the Middle East. According to Alamuddin’s Doughty Street Chambers, she has co-authored a book entitled The Case for an Arab Court of Human Rights, which has yet to be published. Arab foreign ministers have agreed that this court will be hosted by Manama.