Sameh Shoukry: Four Decades of Steadfast Diplomacy and Resolute Defense of Egypt’s Interests
Since his appointment as Egypt’s Foreign Minister in 2014, following President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s rise to power, Sameh Shoukry has emerged as one of the most prominent figures in Egyptian diplomacy. His career, spanning more than four decades, reflects a deep commitment to defending Egypt’s regional and international standing through calm yet determined diplomacy.
Born in 1952, Shoukry graduated from Ain Shams University’s Faculty of Law and joined the diplomatic corps in 1976. He began his journey as a diplomatic attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, steadily rising through the ranks with assignments in key Egyptian embassies and senior roles in Cairo. At every stop, he left his mark as a skilled negotiator, known for his composed approach and strategic management of complex foreign policy challenges.
Shoukry’s diplomatic journey has taken him through major capitals and international organizations. He served in London and Buenos Aires and was an advisor at Egypt’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. His roles later expanded to include Director of the Department for U.S. and Canada Affairs and Secretary for Information and Follow-up to the President of Egypt.
In 1999, he was appointed Egypt’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna. There, he played a pivotal role at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), chaired the G-77 and China group, and represented Egypt in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. He also led Egypt’s delegation in negotiations on the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2000.
A seasoned voice in disarmament affairs, Shoukry chaired the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2005 NPT Review Conference and coordinated the New Agenda Coalition in 2006, reinforcing his international stature as a calm but decisive actor in global security issues.
One of his key assignments was serving as Egypt’s Ambassador to the United States (2008–2012), a period marked by significant regional upheaval. During his tenure, Shoukry preserved strategic dialogue with Washington and projected Egypt’s positions with clarity and balance.
Upon returning to Cairo, he took on senior roles in the Foreign Ministry before being appointed Foreign Minister in 2014. Since then, Shoukry has guided Egyptian diplomacy through critical moments—from regional stabilization efforts and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations to coordinating with major powers and representing Egypt on the global stage. Known for articulating Egypt’s positions with professionalism, his style blends firmness with quiet diplomacy.
Married with two children, Sameh Shoukry remains a quintessential diplomat—seasoned by experience and unwavering in his commitment to safeguarding Egypt’s national interests.
