Thoraya is a scholar of Middle East politics interested in the study of political economy, authoritarianism and contentious politics in the region. She holds a BSc in Psychology from University College London, an MSc in Social Policy and Planning from LSE and an MSc in Sociology from the University of Oxford.

Before joining LSE as a PhD Candidate, Thoraya spent nine years as a practitioner and policy analyst working on labour and employment issues across the Middle East. She is also an award-winning literary translator who specializes in bringing political literature from around the Arab region into English.