
Bassem I. Awadallah (; born in 1964) is a Jordanian public figure. He is the chief executive officer of Tomoh Advisory, based in
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
,
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
and serves as a member of the
board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
of
Al Baraka Banking Group in Bahrain. In 2006 Awadallah was appointed as the director of the Office of
King Abdullah II
Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...
and was appointed chief of the Royal Hashemite Court of
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
in 2007.
Awadallah was chosen as a
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
Fellow, in
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
in 2004, and a
Young Global Leader
Forum of Young Global Leaders, or Young Global Leaders (YGL), is a non-profit organization. The organization was created by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum and is managed from Geneva, Switzerland, under the supervision of the Sw ...
by the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
in 2005. He is the recipient of the Al Hussein Decoration for Distinguished Service, the
Al Kawkab Decoration of the First Order, and
the Al Istiqlal Decoration of the First Order, of the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
.
Early life and education
Awadallah is a
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
citizen who was born in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
in 1964. He received his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in
Foreign Service Foreign Service may refer to:
* Diplomatic service, the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country
* United States Foreign Service, the diplomatic service of the United States government
**Foreign Service ...
from
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
,
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, in 1984. He also holds a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
(1985) and
Ph.D (1988) from
The London School of Economics and Political Science
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
,
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
.
Career
Awadallah worked in the
Investment Banking
Investment banking is an advisory-based financial service for institutional investors, corporations, governments, and similar clients. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in raising financial capital by und ...
field primarily in the United Kingdom, from 1986 until 1992. He was then appointed as the economic secretary to the
Prime Minister of Jordan
The prime minister of Jordan is the head of government of the Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The prime minister is appointed by the List of kings of Jordan, king of Jordan, who is then free to form his own Cabinet of Jordan, Cabinet. Th ...
from 1992 until 1996. He then served as the economic advisor to the Prime Minister of Jordan until 1999, after which he held the position of director of the Economic Department at the Royal Hashemite Court until 2001. In 2001, he became the minister of planning and international cooperation until 2005. From April to June 2005 he served as the
minister of finance
A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position .
A ministry of finance's portfolio ...
. In 2006, Awadallah served as the director of the Office of King Abdullah II and then chief of the Royal Hashemite Court from 2007 until 2008.
In 2001, Awadallah was appointed as a member of the board of trustees in the
King Hussein Cancer Center
250px, King Hussein Cancer Center under expansion.
The King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) and Center (KHCC) (Arabic مؤسسة ومركز الحسين للسرطان), in Jordan until 2013. From 2002 until 2008 he was the vice-chairman of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development. In 2008, he was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the
Dubai School of Government
The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, is a research and teaching institution located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Original founded in 2005 as the Dubai School of Government, public policy in the Arab world is the focus of the institu ...
. In 2010, he was a visiting fellow at the
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OXCIS) was established in 1985 as an independent centre affiliated with the University of Oxford, focused on advanced research into Islam and Muslim societies. The Prince of Wales serves as its patron. In 20 ...
at
Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
, United Kingdom. In 2011, he was appointed as a member of the
Advisory Board
An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to the ...
of the Middle East Centre, of the London School of Economics and Political Science of the University of London. In 2010, Awadallah was appointed as secretary general of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry and as a member of the Advisory Board of Standard Chartered Bank for the MENA region. In May 2014, he was appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of
Al Quds University
Al-Quds University () is a public university in the Jerusalem Governorate, Palestine. The main campus is located in Abu Dis town, near Jerusalem, with three more campuses in Jerusalem and other campuses in Ramallah and Hebron. It was establishe ...
in
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
.
Arrest
On 3 April 2021, Awadallah was reportedly arrested by the Jordanian Government, along with other high ranking figures.
The day after his arrest, a diplomatic delegation from
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
arrived in Amman formally to stand in "full solidarity" with Jordan and supports all decisions and measures taken by
King Abdullah II
Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...
. ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' claimed they requested the release of Awadullah. In the past Awadullah was a special envoy to Saudi Arabia sent by King Abdullah II, during which time he was granted a Saudi passport. The Saudi insistence on Awadullah's immediate release — before any judicial process or the filing of formal charges — gives the appearance that the Saudis are worried about what he might say.
The Saudi foreign ministry denied the claims and responded to the ''
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
'' investigation about the issue that "The minister
Prince Faisal Bin Farhan">Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud">Prince Faisal Bin Farhanwas in Amman to confirm solidarity and support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Kingdom of Jordan", and that "the minister did not discuss any other issues or submit any requests."
References
External links
The Economics of the Arab Spring: A struggle for economic commons in the Arab world / Center for the Studies of the African EconomicsSaving the Arab Spring: Economic Development in the Middle East /LSE
Arab Spring / BBC World ServiceAn Arab Marshall Plan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awadallah, Bassem
1964 births
Living people
Academics of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
Finance ministers of Jordan
Planning ministers of Jordan
Planning and International Cooperation ministers of Jordan
Jordanian businesspeople
Politicians from Jerusalem
Georgetown University alumni
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Recipients of the Order of The Star of Jordan
Recipients of the Order of Independence (Jordan)
Recipients of Al-Hussein Order for Distinguished Contributions