Ilham holds law degrees from both common and civil law jurisdictions; she is a graduate of the Universite Catholique de Louvain and of SOAS, University of London.

She has experience representing clients in arbitrations spanning multiple sectors and jurisdictions under the auspices of the major arbitration centres and in litigations before the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts.

Over the years, Ilham has demonstrated a keen interest for the development of arbitration in Africa and has assisted a number of African Governments with the creation and improvement of their arbitration legal framework.

In 2020, she was recognised by the Association of Young Arbitrators as one of Africa’s 50 Most Promising Young Arbitration Practitioners.

Ilham is also a strong advocate for diversity in International Arbitration. She is often invited to speak on ethnic and gender diversity issues at arbitration conferences around the world.