Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel
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| Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States | |
| In office 18 September 1964 – 1975 |
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| Monarch | Faisal |
| Preceded by | Abdallah Al-Khayyaal |
| Succeeded by | Ali Alireza |
| Minister of Agriculture of Saudi Arabia | |
| In office 31 October 1962 – 29 August 1964 |
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| Monarch | Saud |
| Prime Minister | Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Preceded by | Abdul Rahman bin Sulaiman Al Sheikh |
| Succeeded by | Hassan Al Mishari |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia | |
| In office 22 December 1960 – 16 March 1962 |
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| Monarch | Saud |
| Prime Minister | King Saud |
| Preceded by | Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Succeeded by | Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Iraq | |
| In office 1958–1960 |
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| Monarch | Saud |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1916 Unaizah, Emirate of Nejd and Hasa |
| Died | 21 May 1977 (aged 60–61) Riyadh, Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia |
| Parent | Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Suwaiyel |
| Occupation | Politician • diplomat • political advisor • teacher |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Saudi Arabia |
| Branch/service | Saudi Arabian Army |
| Rank | Major general |
Sheikh Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel (1916 – 21 May 1977) was an important figure in Saudi Arabia. He was a statesman, a diplomat, and a military officer. He is known for being the first person not from the royal family to become the Saudi Arabian minister of foreign affairs. This job involves handling a country's relationships with other countries.
Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel also served as Saudi Arabia's ambassador to both the United States and Iraq. An ambassador is a country's official representative in another country. He was also the Minister of Agriculture and an advisor to the Royal Court.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel was born in 1916 in Unaizah, a city in Saudi Arabia. His father, Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Suwaiyel, was an imam (a religious leader) at a mosque in Unaizah.
Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel went to Cairo University in Egypt. He was the first person from the Najd region of Saudi Arabia to attend a university. This was a big achievement for him and his family.
Career Highlights
Starting His Career
Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel began his career as a teacher at a school in Mecca. Later, he joined the diplomatic team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also worked as a political advisor to King Saud. This meant he gave advice to the king on important political matters.
He also served as a diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Cairo, Egypt. From 1958 to 1960, he was the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Iraq.
Serving as Foreign Minister
On December 22, 1960, King Saud chose Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He took over this role from Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who later became King Faisal. Faisal was a close friend of Al Suwaiyel.
Before Al Suwaiyel, Faisal had been in charge of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy since 1930. This made Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel the country's second foreign minister. He was also the first person not from the Saudi royal family to hold this important position.
Al Suwaiyel was the foreign minister for less than two years. He left the job on March 16, 1962, and Faisal took over again. During his time as minister, he attended the first meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Yugoslavia. This group of countries chose not to formally align with or against any major power bloc during the Cold War. Saudi Arabia became one of its founding members.
Later Important Roles
After his time as foreign minister, Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel continued to serve his country. On October 31, 1962, he became the Minister of Agriculture. He held this position until August 29, 1964.
When Faisal became the King of Saudi Arabia, Al Suwaiyel was appointed Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States. He served in this role until King Faisal passed away in 1975.
In 1974, during a conversation with American officials, Henry Kissinger, a top US diplomat, said that Al Suwaiyel was very dedicated to Saudi Arabia.
After King Khalid became king, Al Suwaiyel returned to Riyadh. From 1975 until his death in 1977, he worked as an advisor to the Saudi Royal Court. He was also a member of the Council of Ministers, which is a group of top government officials.
Death
Ibrahim Al Suwaiyel passed away on May 21, 1977, in Riyadh. He died from health problems related to emphysema.
