Anwar Gargash
{{Short description|Emirati politician (born 1959)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Anwar Gargash.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Anwar Gargash at the ‘London 11’ Friends of Syria Meeting, 15 May 2014
| office = Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
| president = Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
| primeminister = Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
| predecessor = Mohammed Hussein Al Shaali
| successor = Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan
| term_start = 17 February 2008
| term_end = 10 February 2021
| office2 = Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs
| primeminister2 =
| predecessor2 = Office established
| successor2 = Office abolished
| term_start2 = 2006
| term_end2 = 20 October 2017
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|3|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Dubai, Trucial States
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| alma_mater = {{ubl|George Washington University |King's College, Cambridge}}
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
| honorific_prefix = His Excellency
}}
Anwar Mohammed Gargash ({{langx|ar|أنور محمد قرقاش}}; born 28 March 1959) is an Emirati politician who served as the minister of state for foreign affairs between February 2008 and February 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/gen-soleimani-killing-in-iraq-uae-calls-for-wisdom-to-avoid-confrontation-1.1578050326471|title=Gen. Soleimani killing in Iraq: UAE calls for wisdom to avoid confrontation|work=Gulf News
|access-date=11 January 2020}}{{Cite news|title=UAE Says Region Must Pull Back From 'Troubling' Tensions|work=The New York Times
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/01/08/world/middleeast/08reuters-iraq-security-emirates-gargash.html|agency=Reuters|date=8 January 2020|access-date=11 January 2020}} Since February 2021, he has been serving as a senior diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates president.
Education
Gargash received a bachelor's degree in 1981 and a master's degree in 1984 in political science from George Washington University. He then obtained a PhD from King's College of Cambridge University in 1990.{{cite web|title=Biography|publisher=UN
|url=https://www.un.org/ga/president/62/ThematicDebates/humantrafficking/gargash.pdf|access-date=20 April 2013}}{{Cite web
|url=https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/cabinet-members/his-excellency-dr-anwar-bin-mohammed-gargash|title=Members of The Cabinet
|website=uaecabinet.ae|access-date=15 November 2018}}
Career
File:GPODBG 0563 (50301123861).jpg and head of Israel's National Security Council Meir Ben-Shabbat in Abu Dhabi on 31 August 2020]]
From 1995 to 1999, he worked as managing editor at the strategic studies publications of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) and from 1995 to 2006 as chief executive officer of Gargash Enterprise. Between August 2006 and February 2007 Gargash was the chairman of the National Election Committee.
He was appointed minister of state for the federal national council in 2006.{{cite web|title=Cabinet Members|publisher=UAE Cabinet|url=http://www.uaecabinet.ae/English/Pages/Cabinet_Members.aspx|access-date=20 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126165643/http://www.uaecabinet.ae/English/Pages/Cabinet_Members.aspx}} In February 2008, Gargash was appointed as minister of state for foreign affairs, and remained in that office until February 2021.{{cite web|title=H.E Dr. Anwar Mohammed Qargash|url=http://uaecabinet.ae/en/members/pages/h-e--dr--anwar-mohammed-qarqash-.aspx#.UiTYRWRJVgs|work=UAE Government|access-date=2 September 2013}}
On 13 August 2020 Gargash announced the UAE's agreement to normalize relations with Israel stating that his country wanted to deal with the threats facing the two-state solution, specifically annexation of the Palestinian territories, and urging the Palestinians and Israelis to return to the negotiating table.{{cite news|date=13 August 2020|title=Further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories would have eliminated hope for peace: UAE|work=Al Masdar News|url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/further-israeli-annexation-of-palestinian-territories-would-have-eliminated-hope-for-peace-uae/|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813171541/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/further-israeli-annexation-of-palestinian-territories-would-have-eliminated-hope-for-peace-uae/|url-status=dead}} Gargash's tenure ended on 10 February 2021 when Shakhbout bin Nahyan was appointed to the post.{{cite news|title=UAE's Anwar Gargash removed as foreign affairs minister |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-anwar-gargash-removed-foreign-affairs-minister-state|access-date=11 February 2021|work=Middle East Eye}} Immediately following his removal from the office he was made a diplomatic advisor to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.{{Cite news|date=9 May 2023|title=Anwar Gargash meets UN Special Envoy to Yemen|access-date=10 September 2023|work=WAM|url=https://wam.ae/en/details/1395303193497}} In February 2022, Gargash said that the UAE would not "take sides" after Russia invaded Ukraine.{{Cite news|date=27 February 2022|title=UAE not taking sides in Ukraine conflict, senior official says|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uae-not-taking-sides-ukraine-conflict-favours-negotiations-official-2022-02-27/|access-date=27 February 2022}}
Gargash has been involved with the boards of various UAE institutions, such as the UAE's Culture and Science Symposium, Al Ittihad, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Emirates Media, Dubai School of Government, Al Owais Cultural Foundation,{{Cite web|title=Dubai School of Government|url=http://www.uae-embassy.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Women_in_Parliament_UAE_Study.pdf}}{{Cite news|title=Anwar Gargash |language=en |work=Middle East Institute|url=http://www.mei.edu/experts/anwar-gargash|access-date=15 November 2018}}{{Cite web|title=Dr. Anwar Gargash re-elected as Chairman of Al Owais Cultural Foundation |url=https://www.mofa.gov.ae/EN/MediaCenter/News/Pages/07-12-2017-UAE-Al-Owais-Cultural-Foundation.aspx
|access-date=15 November 2018|work=MoFAIC}} Dubai Economic Council, the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, and the Ministerial Legislative Committee.{{Cite web |title=Abdullah bin Zayed attends Shapers of Tomorrow graduation ceremony at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy |url=https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/education/abdullah-bin-zayed-attends-shapers-of-tomorrow-graduation-ceremony-at-anwar-gargash-diplomatic-academy/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=www.mediaoffice.abudhabi |language=en}} In December 2024, following the downfall of Assad's government is Syria, he spoke at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. According to APnews he said “Iran’s deterrence thinking is really shattered by events in Gaza, by events in Lebanon and definitely by developments in Syria,”.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-08 |title=Analysis: Collapse of Syria's Assad is a blow to Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' |url=https://apnews.com/article/iran-mideast-proxy-forces-syria-analysis-c853bf613a6d6af7f6aa99b2e60984f8 |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=AP News |language=en}}
Personal life
Gargash is a member of a prominent trading family in Dubai which is part of the minority Huwala in the United Arab Emirates.{{cite journal|title=Iranian and Arab in the Gulf: Endangered Language, Windtowers, and Fish Sauce|author=John W. Limbert|url=https://www.academia.edu/35102453|journal=University of Durham, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies|date=16 August 2016}}{{cite web|title=The untold Iranian story of the UAE|url=https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/c200517n|work=BBC|access-date=23 May 2019}}
In 2017 Gargash received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from George Washington University,{{Cite web|title=Alumni Awards|url=https://alumni.gwu.edu/alumni-awards|access-date=15 November 2018|publisher=The George Washington University}} and the Abu Dhabi Award in 2017.{{cite news|date=22 June 2017|title=H.E. Dr. Anwar Mohammad Gargash|publisher=Abu Dhabi Awards
|url=https://www.abudhabiawards.ae/en/recipient/h-e-dr-anwar-mohammad-gargash/}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gargash, Anwar Mohammed}}
Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
Category:George Washington University alumni
Category:Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni
Category:Emirati businesspeople
Category:Emirati people of Iranian descent
Category:Emirati Sunni Muslims
Category:State ministers of the United Arab Emirates