ABD AL-MAGUID, ESMAT (1924–)

Egyptian diplomat. Esmat Abd al-Maguid studied international law in Paris and began his career in foreign affairs in 1950, becoming secretary to the Egyptian ambassador in London, a post that he held until 1954. Back in Cairo he became director (until 1957) of the Bureau of British Affairs in the Foreign Ministry. In this capacity he participated in negotiations on the evacuation of British troops from Egypt. From 1957 to 1961 he was a member of the Egyptian delegation to the United Nations in Geneva. Between 1961 and 1963 he held the position of deputy director of the Legislative Department of the Foreign Ministry, where he became one of the main collaborators of Muhammad Hafiz el-Ismail, vice minister of Foreign Affairs. Between 1963 and 1966 he was chargé d'affaires of the Egyptian embassy in Paris. He then became director of the Department of Cultural Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, and then spokesman for the Egyptian government.

In June 1970, Abd al-Maguid was named Egyptian ambassador in Paris, replacing Muhammad Hafiz el-Ismail, who had become director of Egypt's Intelligence Service. That November, Abd al-Maguid was appointed chargé d'affaires in the government of Mahmud Fawzi. In January 1972 he was named permanent representative of Egypt to the United Nations. On 16 July 1984, Abd al-Maguid was appointed minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Kamal Hassan Ali, who had become prime minister. On 11 November 1986 Abd al-Maguid was promoted to vice prime minister, in charge of foreign affairs. As such he guided Egyptian diplomacy in its efforts to support the Palestinian cause. On 15 May 1991 he was elected general secretary of the Arab League, an election that marked the return of Egypt to a leadership position in the pan-Arab organization, from which it had been excluded since the Camp David Accords. He was replaced as director of the ministry of Foreign Affairs by Amr Mousa, who, ten years later, succeeded him as head of the Arab League.

SEE ALSO Camp David Accords;League of Arab States;Mousa, Amr Muhammad.