Jamil Ibrahim Al-Hejailan, also known as Jamil Ibrahim Al Hejailan, (; born 1927) is a Saudi diplomat, who served as secretary general of the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

(GCC) from 1996 to 2002. He was the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Germany, Kuwait, and France. Hejailan was the first minister of information and broadcasting of Saudi Arabia and also served as the minister of health.

Biography

Al-Hejailan was born in

Buraidah Buraydah or Buraidah (Arabic: بريدة) is the capital and largest city of Al-Qassim Province in north-central Saudi Arabia. Renowned as the agricultural capital of Saudi Arabia and often referred to as the food basket of the Kingdom, the cit ...

, Al Qasim region, in 1927. He received a degree in law in Cairo. He was a career diplomat and started his career at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

. In 1953 he served as the third secretary at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Tehran, Iran. He was the

chargé d'affaires A (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. The term is Frenc ...

at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Pakistan. In 1960 he was appointed director general of Broadcasting, Press and Publication. On 5 October 1961, Hejailan began to serve as the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Kuwait, being the first Saudi Arabian diplomat holding this post. His tenure ended in 1963, and he was named as the minister of information in March 1963 which he held until December 1970. During his tenure Saudi Arabian women first appeared in radio programs. Ibrahim Al Angari replaced Hejailan as minister of information. From December 1970 to March 1974 Hejailan served as the minister of health. Al-Hejailan was the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to West Germany between 1974 and 1976. He was appointed ambassador of Saudi Arabia to France in 1976 and held the post until 1980s. He was appointed secretary general of the GCC, in April 1996, replacing Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi. His tenure lasted until 31 March 2002, and he was succeeded by Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al Attiyah in the post.

Personal life

Al-Hejailan is married and has four children - Emad, Faisal, Waleed, and Mona. They currently reside in Riyadh and Paris.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Al-Hejailan, Jamil Ibrahim 20th-century Saudi Arabian diplomats 1927 births Living people Leaders of organizations People from Buraidah Secretaries-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council Health ministers of Saudi Arabia Information ministers of Saudi Arabia Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to France Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to Germany Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to Kuwait