Hisham Sharaf

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Heshm_Sharaf_-_13.jpg

| imagesize =

| office = Minister of Foreign Affairs of Yemen
{{small|Disputed}}

| president = Saleh Ali al-Sammad
Mahdi al-Mashat

| primeminister = Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour

| term_start = 28 November 2016*

| term_end =

| predecessor = Abu Bakr al-Qirbi

| successor =

| office1 = Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

| term_start1 = 12 September 2012

| term_end1 = 9 November 2014

| president1 = Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi

| primeminister1 = Muhammad Salim Basindwah

| predecessor1 = Yahia Al Shoaibi

| successor1 = Mohammad al-Mutahar{{cite web|url=http://yemen-embassy.be/en/?p=638|title=President Hadi announced the formation of a new government|work=Yemen Embassy}}

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1956}}

| birth_place = Taiz, Yemen

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse =

| children =

| religion =

| party =

| alma_mater = Pennsylvania State University
Catholic University of America

| footnotes = *Sharaf's term has been disputed first by Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi and thereafter by Khaled al-Yamani.

}}

Hisham Sharaf Abdullah (born 1956) is a Yemeni civil engineer and politician who has served in several cabinet posts. He is currently Yemen's minister of foreign affairs, and formerly the minister of higher education and scientific research.

Early life and education

Abdullah was born in Taiz in 1956.{{cite web|title=Biography of Ministers|url=http://www.yemen-nic.info/english_site/government/government/present_gov/main.php|work=National Information Center|accessdate=14 April 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713122905/http://www.yemen-nic.info/english_site/government/government/present_gov/main.php|archivedate=13 July 2013|df=dmy-all}} He holds a civil engineering degree, which he received from Pennsylvania State University in 1983. He obtained a master's degree in project administration with a minor in computer science from the Catholic University of America in 1988.{{cite news|title=Hisham Sharaf Abdullah|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/YEMEN+-+Hisham+Sharaf.-a0295226110|accessdate=14 April 2013|work=APS Review Downstream Trends|date=18 June 2012}}

Career

Sharaf served as deputy minister for international planning and co-operation until early 2011.{{cite news|last=Darem|first=Faisal|title=Yemen hopes London Summit will provide military and development support|url=http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/main/2010/01/21/feature-01?change_locale=true|accessdate=14 April 2013|work=Al Shorfa|date=21 January 2010}} In January 2011, he was named the minister of industry and trade, replacing Yahya Al Mutawakil in the post.{{cite news|title=Presidential decree appoints Hisham Sharaf minister of industry|url=http://www.almotamar.net/en/8072.htm|accessdate=14 April 2013|work=Almotabar|date=22 January 2011}} On 7 December 2011, Sharaf was appointed minister of oil and natural mineral resources in the unity government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Salim Basindwah.{{cite news|last=Hatem|first=Mohammad|title=Yemen Interim Cabinet Evenly Split Between Saleh Party, Foes|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-07/yemen-interim-cabinet-evenly-split-between-saleh-party-foes.html|accessdate=14 April 2013|work=Bloomberg|date=7 December 2011}} Saadeddin bin Taleb succeeded him as minister of industry and trade. On 11 September 2012, Sharaf was appointed minister of higher education and scientific research in a cabinet reshuffle, succeeding Yahia Al Shoaibi.{{cite news|title=Yemen purges army from Saleh loyalists|url=http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=54320|accessdate=14 April 2013|work=Middle East Online|date=12 September 2012|location=Sanaa}}{{cite news|title=Hadi decrees appointments weakening Saleh aides|url=http://yemenfox.net/news_details.php?sid=4144|accessdate=14 April 2013|work=Yemen Fox|date=12 September 2012}} His deputy Ahmed Abdullah Daress replaced Sharaf as oil minister.