In 1994, she and Shakour bint Mohammed al-Ghamari were indirectly elected to the Consultative Assembly, becoming the first women in the Parliament of Oman.
[1] In the 1994 elections, the members of the Consultative Assembly were selected by Sultan Qaboos and Sayyid Fahd from among candidates receiving the most votes from the public.
Al-Mawali was one of the top four candidates in Seeb and was selected alongside al-Ghamari from Muscat.
Instead she began working for the Ministry for Municipalities, Environment and Hydraulics, where she claims she was put in an empty office and not given any tasks.
[1] In 2005 she was arrested after criticising the trial of 31 Islamists for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government,[1] and was sentenced to eighteen months in prison.