She previously served as minister of family and population, assistant minister of foreign affairs, Ambassador of Egypt to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well serving in Egypt’s diplomatic missions in Australia, Hungary, Austria and the United Nations in New York City and Vienna.

[citation needed] A career diplomat serving as Egypt’s first Ambassador to South Africa and before it she was the Ambassador to Czechoslovakia during its peaceful separation to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Khattab ended her diplomatic career as assistant minister of foreign affairs for international cultural relations.

[citation needed] She chaired the ad hoc UN intergovernmental expert group that formulated the UN Guidelines on Justice Matters related to children victims[4] and witnesses to crime adopted by ECOSOC in 2005.

Khattab is vice president of the Aflatoun Child Savings International based in Amsterdam and is a regular lecturer on children’s rights to police officers, judges, women organizations and the media.

[1] The announcement was made against the backdrop of The Egyptian Museum to symbolise Egypt's strong culture and rich heritage[5] and also as one of the founding members[6] and earliest partners of UNESCO including the relocation of the Abu Simbel temples in 1964 among many others.