2012 saw El Welily reach World No.2 for the first time and in September of that year she won her first World Series title by defeating World No.1 Nicol David in the final in the CIMB Malaysian Open.
In 2012, El Welily reached a career-high ranking of No. 2 for the first time, and later that year, she claimed her first World Series title by triumphing over top-ranked player Nicol David in the CIMB Malaysian Open championship match.