aboutabcc

Sir Alan Munro, KCMG

Sir Alan joined the Diplomatic Service in 1958 after military service in the Army, and Cambridge University where he studied history. He went to Lebanon to learn Arabic, and subsequently worked in Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya and Brazil as well as in the Foreign Office.

• He had spells in the Ministry of Defence looking after military cooperation with Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, before going to Algeria as ambassador in 1974. He was subsequently Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East and Africa and was British ambassador in Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1993, a period which coincided with the Kuwait crisis.
• Since leaving the Diplomatic Service he has advised a number of firms on the Middle East region. He is chairman of the Saudi-British society and vice-chairman of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce. He was a founding member of the Saudi-British Business Council and advises the Ministry of Defence on the UK/Saudi Al Yamamah Economic Offset Programme.
• Sir Alan is also a director of the Middle East International magazine and writes and broadcasts on Arab issues. He is author of the books, "Embassy at War: Politics and Diplomacy Behind The Gulf War", (  ISBN: 1574881094 ) and "An Arabian Affair: Gulf War from Saudi Arabia" ( ISBN: 1857531485 ).  
• He has been a governor of Imperial College in London and vice-chairman of the British Red Cross Society.
• Sir Alan was awarded the Order of King Abdul Aziz in 1993.