Hafiz Wahba

Hafiz Wahba (15 July 1889 – 1967) was an Egyptian diplomat who was then naturalised in Saudi Arabia. Fuad Hamza and he were the first ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the former in France and the latter in the United Kingdom. In addition, they were among the advisers whom King Abdulaziz employed to improve the decision-making process of the state.

Early life and education

Wahba was born in Cairo in 1889. He was a graduate of Al Azhar University. During the British occupation of Egypt Wahba was sent to exile in Malta due to his alleged involvement in the 1919 revolt against British forces. Then he joined in the pan-Islamic Khilafat movement in India. He worked as a school principal in Kuwait.

Career

Wahba's first official task in Saudi Arabia was that of being a tutor to Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz in 1916. He was part of the Abdulaziz Al Saud's campaign against Hijaz. He also acted as a representative of Abdulaziz and was sent by him to Egypt. However, Wahba's attempts in Egypt failed. When Mecca was captured in 1924 Abdulaziz sent him there together with his two other advisors, Abdullah Suleiman and Abdullah Al Damluji, before he himself entered the region. The same year Wahba was appointed the civil governor of Mecca which he held until 1926. At the same time he was part of the eight-member political committee at the Saudi royal court.

In 1928 Wahba was made the head of education directorate which was responsible for educational activities in Hijaz. During his term the directorate sent fourteen Saudi students to Al Azhar in Cairo for higher education. The same year Wahba suggested King Abdulaziz to establish a body to control and eliminate the violent attacks of the Ikhwan to pilgrims which negatively affected the income of the country. This body laid the basis of the Committee for the Promotion of Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong.

Wahba was made Saudi envoy to Vatican City. He was assigned for the mission of ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom from 10 November 1930 to 1956 and again from 15 November 1962 until 13 July 1966. On 7 November 1933 the Saudi-American Treaty was signed by Robert W. Bingham, the American ambassador to Great Britain, on behalf of the United States and Hafiz Wahba on behalf of Saudi Arabia. Wahba accompanied King Abdulaziz in his meeting with Franklin D. Roosevelt on 14 February 1945. His first term as the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom ended due to the diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Britain following the Suez crisis. In 1955 King Saud asked Wahba to return to Riyadh when the relations between Saudi Arabia and Britain became very tense because of the Buraimi dispute.

In May 1959 Wahba was named one of two representatives of the Saudi government as directors of the Arabian American Oil Company. The other one was Abdullah Tariki. They were the first Saudi directors of the company. Wahba retired from public posts in 1966.

Personal life and death

Wahba married several times, including a Kuwaiti woman. One of his children from this marriage was Mustafa Wahba who was the long-term secretary general of the Communist Party in Saudi Arabia (CPSA). Hafiz Wahba also had two daughters from his marriage to this Kuwaiti woman and another son, Ali, from his other marriage.

Wahba settled in Rome following his retirement in 1966. He died there in 1967. He published various books, including ''Fifty Years in Arabia'' (1962) and ''Arabian Days'' (1964) both of which were published in London.

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahba, Hafiz
Hafiz
Hafiz
1889 births
1967 deaths
Hafiz
Hafiz
Hafiz
Hafiz
Hafiz
Egyptian exiles
Politicians from Cairo