Abdullah Bishara | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bishara in 1974 | |
| Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council | |
| In office 26 May 1981 – April 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Fahim bin Sultan Qasimi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abdullah Yacoub Maayouf Bishara 6 November 1936 Kuwait |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Diplomat |
| Awards | Order of the British Empire |
Abdullah Bishara ( Arabic: عبد الله بشارة; born 6 November 1936) is a Kuwaiti diplomat and politician, who was the first secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Early life and education
Bishara was born on 6 November 1936. [1] He graduated from Cairo University in 1959. [1] He attended Balliol College, Oxford University, and studied diplomacy and international relations. [2] Later he earned a master's degree in political science from St. John's University in the United States. [2]
Career
Bishara worked as a teacher from 1959 to 1961. [1] Then he joined foreign ministry and served as second secretary for political affairs at Kuwait's embassy in Tunisia from 1963 to 1964. [1] From 1964 to 1971 he was the director of the office of the minister of foreign affairs in Kuwait. [1] Then he was appointed Kuwait's permanent representative to the United Nations, and served in this post from 1971 to 1981. [1]
Bishara was the first secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council which he held from 26 May 1981 to April 1993. [3] [4] His assistant secretaries at the GCC were Saif bin Hashil Al Maskari from Oman and Abdullah Ibrahim Al Kuwaiz from Saudi Arabia. [5] Maskari was responsible for political affairs while Kuwaiz was in charge of economic matters. [5] Bishara resigned from office in the late 1992, and his resignation was accepted at the GCC summit held in Abu Dhabi in December 1992. [6] An Emirati diplomat Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi replaced him as secretary-general of the GCC. [7]
In 1997, Bishara retired from civil service. [8] However, at the beginning of the 2000s he served as a senior advisor to Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed.[ citation needed] During the same period he was also Kuwait's member on the GCC advisory committee and an advisor in the Gulf affairs department at the ministry of foreign affairs. [1] He was also named president of diplomatic centre for strategic studies. [2] He is the coordinator of the Kuwaiti – British friendship society. [2] In addition, Bishara became a board member and an advisor to North Africa Holding (NorAH) in 2006, [2] and is an Independent Director of Kuwait Projects Co. (Holding) KSC. [9]
Personal life
Bishara is married and has two children. [2] He is the author of various books. [1] He also publishes articles in different newspapers. [10]
Awards
In June 2003 Bishara was awarded by the United Kingdom Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order. [11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Abdullah Yaccoub Bishara". Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Board of Directors". North Africa Holding Company. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ Habib Toumi (29 November 2009). "Oman endorses Al Mutawa". Gulf News. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Bob Reinalda; Kent Kille (21 August 2012). "Biographical Dictionary of Secretaries-General of International Organizations" (PDF). IO BIO Database. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013.
- ^ a b John Christie (July–August 1990). "GCC. The Next Decade". Aramco World. 41 (4). Archived from the original on 27 September 2013.
- ^ Malcolm C. Peck (2010). The A to Z of the Gulf Arab States. Scarecrow Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-8108-7636-1.
- ^ "GCC agrees to bolster joint force". New Straits Times. Abu Dhabi. 25 December 1992. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Profiles". ECSSR. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "KPROJ.KW Company Profile & Executives - Kuwait Projects Co. (Holding) (K.S.C.)". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ "The New Plan". Arab Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Kuwaiti diplomat receives Honorary Medal from Queen of Britain". Kuwait News Agency. 21 June 2003. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- 20th-century Kuwaiti businesspeople
- 20th-century Kuwaiti writers
- 21st-century Kuwaiti businesspeople
- 1936 births
- Living people
- Cairo University alumni
- Leaders of organizations
- Permanent Representatives of Kuwait to the United Nations
- Secretaries-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council
- St. John's University (New York City) alumni
- Honorary Commanders of the Order of the British Empire