Amr Moussa

Amr Moussa
Name	Amr Moussa
Office	Secretary-General of the Arab League
Term start	1 June 2001
Term end	1 June 2011
Predecessor	Esmat Abdel Meguid
Successor	Nabil Elaraby
Office2	Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt
Term start2	20 May 1991
Term end2	15 May 2001
Predecessor2	Ahmed Asmat Abdel-Meguid
Successor2	Ahmed Maher
Birth date	3 October 1936
Birth place	Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt
Alma mater	Cairo University
Party	Conference Party (2012–present)
Otherparty	National Democratic Party (before 2011)
Spouse	Nadia Roushdy (m. 1964; died 2014)

Amr Moussa is an influential Egyptian diplomat and politician who served as the Secretary-General of the Arab League from 2001 to 2011. His long career in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry culminated in his tenure as Foreign Minister under President Hosni Mubarak throughout the 1990s. A prominent figure in Arab and international diplomacy, Moussa later became a significant political figure in post-revolutionary Egypt, running for the presidency in the 2012 election.

Early life and education

Amr Moussa was born on 3 October 1936 in Cairo, the capital of the Kingdom of Egypt. He pursued his higher education at the prestigious Cairo University, graduating with a LL.B. degree in 1957. His academic foundation in law provided the groundwork for his subsequent entry into the diplomatic corps of the United Arab Republic, following the political union between Egypt and Syria.

Diplomatic and political career

Moussa joined the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in 1958, embarking on a distinguished diplomatic career. He held several key postings, including positions at the United Nations in New York and as Egypt's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. His expertise and steady ascent through the ranks led to his appointment as Egypt's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York in 1990. The following year, President Hosni Mubarak appointed him as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a role in which he served for a decade. During this period, he was a central figure in Arab diplomacy, dealing with pivotal issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the aftermath of the Gulf War, and relations with the United States.

Secretary-General of the Arab League

On 1 June 2001, Moussa was elected Secretary-General of the Arab League, succeeding Esmat Abdel Meguid. His tenure, which lasted until June 2011, was marked by efforts to revitalize the organization and assert a more independent Arab stance on the global stage. He was a vocal critic of the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies and played a mediating role during crises such as the 2006 Lebanon War and the 2008–2009 Gaza War. His popularity across the Arab world was notable, often reflecting widespread public sentiment on issues like the Palestinian cause and opposition to foreign intervention.

Post-Arab League political activity

Following the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the end of his term at the Arab League, Moussa returned to Egyptian politics. He founded the Conference Party and became the head of the Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution. In 2012, he was a leading candidate in the first presidential election after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, finishing fifth in the first round. He later served as an advisor and member of the Committee of 50 that drafted Egypt's 2014 constitution and was appointed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to lead the Supreme Council of Culture.

Views and public image

Throughout his career, Moussa has been viewed as a staunch defender of Arab interests and a proponent of Arab unity. He is known for his sharp criticism of Israeli policies and Western intervention in the Middle East. His tenure at the Arab League coincided with a period of heightened public engagement with the organization, partly due to his direct and often charismatic public statements. He is generally perceived as a seasoned statesman with a moderate, yet firmly nationalist, political orientation within the Egyptian context.

Personal life

Amr Moussa was married to Nadia Roushdy, with whom he had a daughter and a son. His wife passed away in 2014. He is known to be an avid reader and has maintained a public intellectual profile, authoring books and articles on Arab affairs and diplomacy. His daughter, Randa Moussa, is a television presenter in Egypt.

Category:1936 births Category:Living people Category:Egyptian diplomats Category:Secretaries-General of the Arab League Category:Foreign ministers of Egypt Category:Ambassadors of Egypt to the United Nations Category:Cairo University alumni