Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja
Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Culture and Information | |
| In office 14 February 2009 – November 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | King Abdullah |
| Preceded by | Iyad bin Amin Madani |
| Succeeded by | Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Khudairi |
| Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Russian Federation | |
| In office 1991–1996 | |
| Succeeded by | Fawzi bin Abdul Majeed Shobokshi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1940 (age 83–84) Mecca |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
| Alma mater | King Saud University Birmingham University |
Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khoja (born 1940) is a former Saudi ambassador and the minister of culture and information between 2009 and 2014.
Early life and education
Khoja was born in Mecca in 1940.[1] He obtained a bachelor of science degree from King Saud University. Then he earned a master of science degree in organic chemistry in Birmingham University in 1967.[2] He also holds a PhD in organic chemistry at Birmingham University in 1969.[1]
Career
Khoja was appointed dean of the faculty of education in Mecca in 1979,[1] and his term lasted until 1984.[2] Then he served as the undersecretary for information affairs at the ministry of information from 1984 to 1991.[2] Later, he served as the Saudi Ambassador to various countries, including Turkey (1991), Russia and Morocco.[1] He was also Saudi ambassador to Lebanon[3] and was in office from 2004 to 2009. During this period of time, King Abdullah's foreign policy towards Lebanon was highly intense and also seen as an interventionist approach.[4] On 14 February 2009, Khoja was appointed minister of culture and information, replacing Iyad bin Amin Madani in the post who had been in office since February 2005.[1][5] Khoja's appointment was regarded as part of King Abdullah's reform initiatives.[6]
Khoja's term as the minister of culture and information ended in November 2014 when he was fired from the office.[7] Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Khudairi replaced him in the post on 8 December 2014.[8]
Khoja is considered to be a relative liberal and was close to King Abdullah, former ruler of Saudi Arabia.[4] Khoja is also a poet. However, some of his works are banned in Saudi Arabia, although he himself was the minister of culture and information.[9]
Other positions
Khoja was the chairman of the General Assembly of Makkah Establishment for Publishing and Printing, publisher of now-defunct newspaper Al Nadwa.[10] As of 2011 he was also the chairman of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) Executive Council.[11]
Book
In 2020 Khoja published his memoirs printed by Jadawel, a Beirut-based company.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Profiles". Saudi Gazette. 15 February 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ a b c "Biographies of Ministers". Saudi Embassy Washington DC. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ Ian Black (7 December 2010). "WikiLeaks cables: Syria stunned by Hezbollah assassination". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ a b Christopher Boucek (June 2009), "Saudi Arabia's king changes the guard" (PDF), Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst, Carnegie Endowment, archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2010, retrieved 5 May 2012
- ^ "14th February 2005 - Saudi Cabinet Meeting". SAMIRAD. 14 February 2005. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ "Saudi King appoints first woman to council". CNN. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Saudi names new health minister to combat MERS virus". Business Standard. AFP. 8 December 2014.
- ^ "King Abdullah names new ministers". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington DC. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ^ Hanna Labonté (23 August 2010). "Saudi Man of Letters and Cautious Reformer". Qantara.de. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
- ^ "King Holds al-Safa Reception". Saudi Press Agency. 12 August 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ "IAAs BNA Elected as IINA Executive Council Member". Bahrain News Agency. 10 December 2011. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ "Memoirs of Abdulaziz Khoja… from the Soviet Collapse to Mysterious Murder Attempts in Turkey – Part One". Asharq Al-Awsat. London. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2022.