https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Hamid_Ali_RaoHamid Ali Rao - Revision history2026-08-29T04:41:02ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hamid_Ali_Rao&diff=501918&oldid=prevNikeNuara: Added Basic Bio V12026-04-24T18:45:26Z<p>Added Basic Bio V1</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian diplomat}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Meerut]], India<br />
| image = Hamid Ali Rao.jpg<br />
| parents = [[M. A. Khan]] (father)<br />
| office = Joint Secretary to the [[External Affairs Minister]]<br />
| office2 = Indian Ambassador to [[Saudi Arabia]]<br />
| office1 = India's Permanent Representative to the [[Conference on Disarmament]]<br />
| office3 = Deputy Director-General of the [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] (OPCW)<br />
| term_start = August 2004<br />
| term_end = December 2007<br />
| term_start1 = 18 December 2007<br />
| term_end1 = 10 September 2011<br />
| term_end2 = April 2015<br />
| term_start2 = 24 September 2011<br />
| term_start3 = April 2015<br />
| term_end3 = January 2019<br />
| spouse = Asiya Hamid Rao<br />
| children = 2<br />
| education = M.A. in [[Political Science]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Hamid Ali Rao''' (born 1954) is a retired [[Indian Foreign Service]] (IFS) officer who served as India's Ambassador to [[Saudi Arabia]] from 2011 to 2015, and as Permanent Representative to the [[Conference on Disarmament]] in [[Geneva]] from 2007 to 2011. He also held the position of Deputy Director-General at the [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] (OPCW).<br />
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== Early life and education ==<br />
Hamid Ali Rao was born in 1954 in [[Meerut, Uttar Pradesh]], India, to [[M. A. Khan|Kunwar Mahmood Ali Khan]], a former [[List of governors of Madhya Pradesh|governor of Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=26 September 2011 |title=Hamid Ali Rao is new Indian envoy to Saudi Arabia |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/hamid-ali-rao-is-new-indian-envoy-to-saudi-arabia/articleshow/10128856.cms |access-date=26 July 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao |url=https://pmindiaun.gov.in/geneva_error |access-date=26 July 2025 |website=pmindiaun.gov.in}}</ref><br />
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He holds a [[Master's degree]] in [[Political science|Political Science]] and a [[Bachelor of Laws]] (LLB).<ref name=":0" /><br />
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== Career ==<br />
Rao joined the [[Indian Foreign Service]] in 1981. Early in his career, he served as Private Secretary to the [[Minister of External Affairs (India)|External Affairs Minister]] from 1993 to 1995 and held diplomatic postings in [[Vienna]], [[Dhaka]], and [[Geneva]].<ref name=":0" /><br />
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As Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, he managed portfolios in [[Disarmament]] & International Security Affairs and [[United Nations]] Economic and Social Affairs.<ref name=":0" /><br />
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From 2007 to 2011, Rao was India's [[Permanent representative|Permanent Representative]] to the [[Conference on Disarmament]] in Geneva, representing India in multilateral disarmament negotiations.<ref name=":0" /><br />
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In 2011, he was appointed Ambassador to [[Saudi Arabia]], succeeding [[Talmiz Ahmad]].<ref name=":1" /><br />
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During his tenure, Rao addressed consular and labor-welfare issues, notably managing the regularization of 75,000 Indian workers during a 2013 Saudi labor law grace period and resolving passport-related challenges in [[Jeddah]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=EMPLOYMENT IN K.S.A |url=https://cgijeddah.gov.in/error.php |access-date=26 July 2025 |website=cgijeddah.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=22 May 2013 |title=Passport issue resolved with Saudi Arabia: Indian mission |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/middle-east-news/passport-issue-resolved-with-saudi-arabia-indian-mission/articleshow/20210099.cms |access-date=26 July 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><br />
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In 2015, Rao was appointed as the [[Deputy Director-General]] of the [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons|OPCW]], and during this period he conducted capacity-building visits to countries including [[Algeria]], [[Mexico]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Russia]], and [[Croatia]], and spoke at the 23rd Session of the Conference of States Parties in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OPCW Deputy Director-General Emphasises Importance of Capacity-Building for Customs Officials during visit to Algeria |url=https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2018/09/opcw-deputy-director-general-emphasises-importance-capacity-building |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=OPCW |language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Personal life ==<br />
Rao is married to Dr. Asiya Hamid Rao, and they have two daughters.<ref name=":0" /><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamid Ali, Rao}}<br />
[[Category:Indian diplomats]]<br />
[[Category:People from Meerut]]<br />
[[Category:1954 births]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Permanent representatives of India to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]]</div>NikeNuara