Robert A. Shaheen (born 1933) is a retired American businessman of

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

descent who worked in Saudi Arabia starting in the early 1960s. Born in

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...

, Shaheen was employed as a high-ranking officer in operations owned by

Adnan Khashoggi Adnan Khashoggi (; 25 July 1935 – 6 June 2017) was a Saudi businessman and arms dealer known for his business dealings, extensive geopolitical influence, and opulent lifestyle, which earned him the moniker "''The Jay Gatsby, Great Gatsby ...

, a Saudi Arabian businessman involved in the international arms trade, representing Lockheed, Northrup, and Raytheon—United States defense systems contractors.

Early life

Shaheen was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters. His parents immigrated to the United States during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. When he was three years old, his father died, leaving his mother, who could not speak, read, or write English, to care for the family of nine children. For his part, he began selling newspapers at a corner movie theater at the age of six. He earned a degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from

Mount Union College The University of Mount Union is a private liberal arts university in Alliance, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until 2019. It had an enrollment of 2,100 students as of 2023. Histo ...

in 1955. After serving in the US Army as a classification and assignment specialist, he began graduate studies at

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 ...

. Shaheen is known as a

polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

. While at Georgetown, he was recruited by the United States government in 1960 to move to

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 ...

. After serving in that capacity for two years, and during that period, he met Khashoggi.

Career

In 1962, he began working as a high-ranking official to Adnan Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian businessman. Shaheen spent the next 25 years with Khashoggi, establishing close personal relationships with the

Saudi royal family The House of Saud ( ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi State, (1727–1818), and his brothers, though the ruling fa ...

and other Middle Eastern leaders and businessmen. Shaheen was president of Khashoggi's Triad Corporation. Khashoggi was commissioned by the late

King Saud Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; 15 January 1902 – 23 February 1969) was King of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 until his abdication on 2 November 1964. During his reign, he served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 1953 to 1954 a ...

to help organize the Ministry of Defense protect their oil fields. In that capacity he brought in Lockheed, Northrup, Raytheon and General Electric and others as defense contractors. Khashoggi and Shaheen opened the door for American, Asian, and European companies to enter business relationships in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Khashoggi and Shaheen negotiated "some of the most lucrative, and highly publicized deals of the 1970s and 1980s." Shaheen, who acted as Khashoggi's gatekeeper, was described as "charming" and a "brilliant organizer and people-mover". Shaheen was known for wearing a three-piece business suit regardless of the climate or location. He has been featured with Khashoggi in many books, as well as a four-part TV series, and several television programs: ''

Sixty Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style of ...

'', ''The Weekend Report'', ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...

'', and ''

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous ''Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'' is an American television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes, socialites and magnates. Cast and crew Th ...

''. Books include: ''The Kingdom'' by Robert Lacey; ''Saudi Arabia Today'' by Peter Hobday; ''The Game Player'' by Miles Copeland; ''Money Rush'' by Andrew Duncan; ''Is My Armour on Straight'' by Richard Berendzen; ''The Deadly Payoff'' by Michel Clerc;The Marshall Plan by Jack Sheehan; ''The Pirate'' (book and TV series) by Harold Robbins; '' Vanity Fair'','' Serving the Superwealthy'' by Jamie Johnson.

Family life

Shaheen lives in

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...

, with his wife Patricia Shaheen. He is the father of four daughters and one son.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaheen, Bob 1933 births Living people American business executives American people of Syrian descent University of Mount Union alumni American expatriates in Saudi Arabia Syrian businesspeople