Personal Data

Place and Date of Birth:        Doha, 15 April 1950.

Marital Status:                        Married with two sons and four               daughters.

Current Position:                    Minister of State                    

Academic Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Geography, University of Miami, Florida, United States of America (July 1972)

Career History

10.08.1972:                 Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar.

1974-1981:                  Consul-General of Qatar in Geneva, Switzerland.

1975-1981:                  Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Qatar to the European Headquarters of the United Nations and other International Organizations, Geneva.

1975-1981:                  Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome.

1981-1984:                  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

1981-1984:                   Ambassador and Envoy of the State of Qatar to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

1981-1984:                  Non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of State of Qatar to the Arab Republic of Yemen.

1981-1984:                  Non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Djibouti.

1984-1990:                  Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UNESCO.

1984-1992:                  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Republic of France.

1985-1993:                  Member of the Board of the Arab World Institute, Paris.

1985-1991:                  Non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Italy.

1986-1992:                  Non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Greece.

1985-1992:                  Alternate Governor of the State of Qatar at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

January 1998:             Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State of Qatar.

December 2001:         Minister of State, State of Qatar.

April 1, 2002:             Assumed responsibilities as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

April 1, 2005:             Assumed the second term of office as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

December, 2006:        The GCC Supreme Council extended the term of office as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf for a third term from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011.

Participation in Arab, Regional and International

Meetings and Conferences

• Member of delegation of the State of Qatar to Arab League meetings (1972-2001).

• Member of delegation of the State of Qatar to summit conferences of Non-aligned Movement (NAM) countries and governments (Algeria-1972, Colombo-1976, Havana-1979).

• Annual meetings of the International Labour Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), Federation of Telegraph and Wireless Telecommunication, World Organization of Intellectual Property, Human Rights Commission, and World Meteorological Organization (Geneva, 1975-1981).

• Preliminary Ministerial meetings for the Group of 77 (Colombo, Jakarta, Manila and Arosha, 1976-1979).

• United Nations Conference for Economic Cooperation among the Developing Countries (Mexico City, 1976).

• The third session of the Conference for Development of Humanitarian Laws Applicable in Armed Conflicts (1976-1977).

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Nairobi – 1976, Manila -1979, and Bangkok).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the International Relations Conference between the United Nations, its organizations and specialized agencies on the one side and the host countries on the other side (Vienna, Austria – 1977).

• Meetings of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Doha – 1977, Amman – 1978.

• Meetings of the Conference of the Technical Cooperation between the Developing Countries (Buenos Aires – 1978).

• Chairman of the Committee concerned with preparation of the structures of the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (on the establishment of the GCC in 1981-1982).

• Participated in various Ministerial Council Sessions of the GCC from 1981 to 1984 and from 1993 to date.

• GCC Summit Conferences (the second held in Riyadh in 1981, the third held in Bahrain in 1982, the fourth held in Doha in November 1983, the 16^th held in Muscat in 1995, the 17^th held in Doha in 1996, the 18^th held in Kuwait in 1997, and the Consultative Summit held in Bahrain in 2001).

• Preparatory Conferences of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, NAM Summit (New Delhi – 1981, Cairo – 1994, and Bandung, Indonesia – 1995).

• Meetings of the Specialized Ministerial Commissions of the GCC countries.

• Conferences of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (13^th session in Niamey, Niger – 1982; 14^th session Dacca, Bangladesh – 1983; Rabat – 1984; 15^th session in Casablanca – December 1984; and 25^th session in Doha in 1998).

• Islamic Summit Conferences (the 4^th and the 7^th session in 1984 and 1994); and the extraordinary meeting held in Islamabad in 1997; the 8^th in Tehran in 1998; and the 9^th in Doha – November 2002.

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the International Chemical Weapons Conference meetings (Paris – 1988).

• Member of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York (from session 28 to 56).

• United Nations Conference for the Assistance of Refugees in Africa (Geneva).

• Damascus Declaration Ministers’ Meetings (Kuwait – 1994, Cairo – 1995, Muscat – 1996 and Doha – 1998).

• Arab Summit Conference (Cairo – 1996).

• Head of the delegation of State of Qatar for negotiating the conclusion of the diplomatic and consular cooperation agreements between the State of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman (1996-1997), the United Arab Emirates (1999), and the State of Kuwait (2000 & 2001).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the meetings of the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of GCC States (Riyadh – 1996 and Manama – 2000).

• Meetings of GCC Foreign Ministers with their European Union counterparts (Luxembourg – 1996, Doha – 1997, Bahrain – 2001, Granada – 2002, Doha – 2003, Brussels – 2004, Manama – 2005, Brussels – 2006, Riyadh – 2007, Brussels – 2008, and Muscat - 2009.

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to both the ordinary and extraordinary meetings of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), New Delhi – 1997.

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the International Conference on Nuclear Weapons Free Region in Central Asia (Tashkent – 1997).

• Meetings of senior staff for preparations of the 8^th Islamic Summit Conference (Jeddah, Tehran 1997).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar for the meeting of the commission of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on reforming the administrative and financial structures of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (Jeddah – 1998).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the meetings of Political Consultations Committee at the level of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Doha – 1998, Ankara -1999, New Delhi – 2000, Tokyo – 2001, Peking – 2001, Bucharest – 2001, and Budapest -2001.

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the meeting of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of GCC countries with the American delegation (Abu Dhabi – 1999).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the meeting of the Ministers of Information of the members of the OIC (Tehran – 1999 & 2001).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to meetings of Ministers of Information of GCC countries (Al-Ain, UAE – September-October 1999, Riyadh - 2000 and Bahrain – 2001).

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the second dialogue meeting between the OIC and the EU Presidency, Doha – 2000.

• Head of the delegation of the State of Qatar to the International Racism Conference, Durban – 2001.

• Participated as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (Head of the delegation of the Secretariat General) during the Conferences of the OIC Ministers of Foreign Affairs (29^th session, Khartoum – June 2002; 3oth session, Tehran – 2003).

• Participated as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (Head of the Delegation of the Secretariat-General) in the Third Extraordinary Session of the OIC, Mecca, 2005.

• Arab Economic and Social Development Summit – Kuwait, 2009

• Participated as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in the ordinary sessions of the GCC Ministerial Council (comprising of GCC Ministers of Foreign Affairs): Jeddah, June 2002 (ordinary session); Jeddah, September 2002 (ordinary session); Doha, November 2002 (preparatory session); Doha, March 2003 (ordinary session), Jeddah, June 2003 (ordinary session); Jeddah, September 2003 (ordinary session); Kuwait, December 2003 (preparatory session); Riyadh, February 2004; Jeddah, June 2004; Jeddah, September 2004; Riyadh, March 2005, Riyadh, June 2005, Jeddah, September 2005; Abu Dhabi, November 2005, Riyadh, March 2006; Riyadh, June 2006; Jeddah, September 2006; Riyadh, November 2006; Riyadh, March 2007; Jeddah, July 2007; Jeddah, September 2007; Doha(Preparatory Session) November 2007; Riyadh, March 2008; Jeddah, June 2008; Jeddah, September 2008; Muscat, November 2008; Riyadh, March 2009; Riyadh, June 2009; Jeddah, September 2009; Kuwait, December 2009; Riyadh, March 2010.

• Participated as the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in the extraordinary sessions of the Ministerial Council: Jeddah, May 2002; Kuwait, April 2003; Secretariat General, Riyadh, April 2003; Riyadh, May 2006.

• Participated as the Secretary-General for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in the Supreme Council Sessions (GCC Heads of State): Consultative Summit, Jeddah - April 2002; 23^rd Session of the Supreme Council, Doha - December 2002, Consultative Summit, Riyadh - May 2003; 24^th Session of the Supreme Council, Kuwait - December 2003; Consultative Summit, Jeddah - May 2004; 25^th Session of the Supreme Council (Zayed Summit), Manama - December 2004, Consultative Summit, Riyadh - May 2005, 26^th Session of the Supreme Council (King Fahd Summit), Abu Dhabi - December 2005; Consultative Summit, Riyadh – May 2006; 27^th Session of the Supreme Council (Sheikh Jaber Summit), Riyadh – December 2006; Consultative Summit, Riyadh – May 2007; 28^th Session of the Supreme Council, Doha - December 2007; Tenth Consultative Summit, Dammam - May 2008; 29^th Session of the Supreme Council, Muscat - December 2008; Eleventh Consultative Summit, Riyadh - May 2009; 30^th Session of the Supreme Council, Kuwait - December 2009; Twelfth Consultative Summit, Riyadh – May 2010.

• Participated in the 15^th Summit of the League of Arab States, Sherm Al-Sheikh, March 2003.

• Participated in the 16^th Summit of the League of Arab States, Tunis, May 2004.

• Participated in the 17^th Summit of the League of Arab States, Algiers, 22-23 March 2005.

• Participated in the 18^th Summit of the League of Arab States, Khartoum, March 2006.

• Participated in the 19^th Summit of the League of Arab States, Riyadh, March 2007.

• Participated in the 20^th Summit of the League of Arab States, Damascus, March 2008.

• Participated in the 21^st Summit of the League of Arab States, Doha, Qatar, 2009.

• Participated in the First Arab–South American Summit, Brasilia, May 2005.

• Participated in the Second Arab-South American Summit, Doha, March 2009.

• Participated as the GCC Secretary-General and Head of Delegation of the GCC Secretariat General in the following United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York: 57^th Session - September 2002; 58^th Session - September 2003, 59^th Session - September 2004; 60^th Session - September 2005; 61^st Session – September 2006; 62^nd Session – September 2007, 63^rd Session – September 2008, 64^th Session – September 2009.

• Participated in World Economic Forum (Davos), Amman, June 2003.

• Participated in Arab-American Economic Forum, Detroit, 2003.

• Participated in the International Counterterrorism Conference, Riyadh, February 2006.

Other Positions and Functions:

• Coordinator-General, Ninth Islamic Summit Conference, Doha – November 2000.

• Coordinator-General, Secretariat of the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference, Doha November 2000.

• Coordinator-General of the extraordinary meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC countries – May, October and December 2001.

• Coordinator-General, Third Islamic Conference for the Ministers of Culture of the OIC Member States, Doha – March 1998.

• Coordinator-General, 25^th Session of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC Member States, Doha – March 1998.

• Vice-Chairman, Permanent Qatari-Palestinian Commission for the Support of the Holy City of Jerusalem.

• Member of the Arab Thought Forum, Amman, Jordan.

• Supporting Member, Strategic Studies Centre, Khartoum, Republic of Sudan.

Medals and Decorations

·         The French Legion of Honour with the rank of Commander –Republic of France, 1985.

·         Italian Legion of Merit – Senior Officer Rank – Republic of Italy, 1992.

·         French Legion of Honour with the rank of Chevalier, Republic of France, 1993.

·         Bestowed with various medals by many governments and organizations in Indonesia, the Philippines, Argentina, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

·         National Cedar Medal of the Commander Order – Presented by H.E. General Emile Lahoud, President of the Republic of Lebanon, December 2004.

·         Independence Medal of the First Order – Presented by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, December 2005.

·         Conferred with the Unity Medal by H.E. Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen, April 2006.

·         The Two Niles Decoration (First Category) awarded by His Excellency Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, April 2007.

·         The Diamond Medal for Sports Leaders who served the combined sports process in the GCC States, March 2010.