Rashad Pharaon

1912 -

Diplomat and physician in Saudi Arabia.

Rashad Pharaon, born and trained in Syria, became the private physician to a succession of Saudi monarchs from 1936 onwards. Enjoying the confidence of the Al Saʿud family, he was appointed their first ambassador to France and Europe (1947 - 1966); during the same period, he was also the kingdom's first minister of health (1954) and senior delegate to the United Nations (1963 - 1964), and he was involved in most areas of Saudi foreign relations as the closest adviser to Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz when he was foreign minister and then king.

— LES ORDEMAN
UPDATED BY GEORGE R. WILKES