From the Heart of Diplomacy to the Forefront of the Political Scene: The Story of Mohamed El Orabi
In the realm of Egyptian foreign policy, the name of Ambassador Mohamed El Orabi stands out as one of the most prominent diplomatic figures who have shaped Egypt's external affairs over the decades. He is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a diplomat who spent his life moving between global capitals, establishing lines of communication between Egypt and the world.
Mohamed El Orabi was born on January 26, 1951. He graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Cairo University in 1975 with a degree in Business Administration. He quickly joined the Egyptian diplomatic corps in 1976, embarking on a career in international politics that would span more than four decades.
El Orabi served in several of the world’s most significant capitals, working at Egyptian embassies in Kuwait, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, and Germany. He also held the position of private secretary to Dr. Boutros Ghali, and later served as the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Dr. Esmat Abdel Meguid.
In 2011, he reached the pinnacle of his diplomatic career when he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. Although his term was brief, it coincided with one of the most sensitive times in the country’s history following the January Revolution.
El Orabi also had a strong parliamentary presence. He chaired the Foreign Relations Committee in Egypt’s House of Representatives in 2016, and was a member of the same body from 2015 to 2020. He also previously served as the head of the Congress Party.
Ambassador El Orabi did not confine himself to official positions. After his retirement, he remained active in the intellectual and diplomatic arenas and currently holds several prominent roles, including:
• President of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs
• President of the Shaf Center for Future Studies and Crisis Analysis
• President of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies and Training
• Member of the Egyptian Scientific Institute
• Advisory Board Member of Al-Siyassa Al-Dawliya (International Politics Journal)
• Board Member at various universities and research centers, including the Middle East Research Center at Ain Shams University, the Misr Public Liberary, the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences, Badr University, King Salman International University, Future University, the British University in Egypt, and Al-Ahram Canadian University.
El Orabi is keen to pass on his expertise to younger generations through numerous lectures, most notably a series on public diplomacy at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy at Humboldt University in Berlin, one of the most prestigious German universities.
In recognition of his diplomatic career and the strong ties he helped foster between Egypt and Germany during his tenure as ambassador in Cairo, Mohamed El Orabi received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (First Class) by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, one of the highest honors granted to international figures.
