Expert Profile



Amb. Dr Sameh Aboul-Enein
Position(s) Deputy Foreign Minister and Director of the Egyptian Diplomatic Academy

Ambassador Dr Sameh Aboul-Enein is an Associate Fellow within the Global Fellowship Initiative of the GCSP. Ambassador Dr Sameh Aboul-Enein is Deputy Foreign Minister and Director of the Egyptian Diplomatic Academy, after holding the position of Assistant minister of foreign affairs for disarmament, non Proliferation & peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He has recently concluded his secondment as Ambassador & Permanent Representative of LAS to the United Nations & other international organizations in Geneva. He was also appointed as Professor of International Relations & Organisations, Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations. In January 2017 he became Honorary Vice-Dean of the Geneva School of Diplomacy.

He is Adjunct Professor for Disarmament, International and Regional Security at the American University in Cairo, Visiting Professor for Crisis Management, Security and Diplomacy, University of East Anglia, and for Security & Diplomatic studies at the University of Stirling in the UK, Visiting Lecturer, Course Instructor and Academic Advisor at the NATO Defense College in Rome and at the Defence Academy of the UK and Senior lecturer at the School of Business in the Management Centre of the American University in Cairo (AUC). He is also a member of the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Cybersecurity.

Professor Aboul-Enein has published and lectured widely in both English and Arabic on international and regional security as well as conflict resolution and Middle East Nuclear Free Zone.

Ambassador Dr Aboul-Enein is the Winner of the 2013 “American University in Cairo Alumni Distinguished Award for Outstanding Work and Talent”. In March 2015, he was also awarded the 2014-2015 "Outstanding Academic Recognition Award" by the Political Science Department, American University in Cairo.

He has a vast network of think tanks, research centres and non-governmental/civil society organisations, both at the regional and global levels.

Prior to this, Dr Aboul-Enein was Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Head of Mission of Egypt to the UK, London. Earlier he was Director of United Nations Affairs Department as well as Director of Specialized Agencies and International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo. From 2002-2006 he was Alternate Representative to the Conference on Disarmament and to United Nations Offices, Permanent Mission of Egypt, Geneva.

During his postings in Geneva and London, Dr Aboul-Enein supported several alumni and charity fundraising campaigns for education and capacity-building in Egypt.

He served as advisor to two previous Foreign Ministers. He was Counsellor for Arab and Middle East Affairs, Cabinet of the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Cairo (2000-2002). From 1994-1996, he was the Political Officer for Middle East-Israeli/Palestinian Affairs, Cabinet of the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Cairo. He commenced his diplomatic career in 1987 and has served in numerous posts in his diplomatic role among them, in addition to the above, the Soviet Union and Turkey.

Ambassador Dr Aboul-Enein led negotiations (national/cross regional/multilateral) in several international fora on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and nuclear energy at the Conference on Disarmament, IAEA, UN First Committee, and NPT.