Fouad Hamza

Fuad Hamza , also known as Fuad Bey Hamza, (1899–1951) was a Palestinian who served as ambassador of Saudi Arabia to France and as King Abdulaziz's adviser and representative. Hafiz Wahba and he were the first ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the former in the United Kingdom and Hamza in France. In addition, they were among the advisers whom King Abdulaziz employed to improve the decision-making process of the state.

Early life, origin and education Fuad Hamza was born in Abey, Lebanon, in 1899. He was from Palestine, and The Times reported on 1 September 1936 that his family were from Ramallah. Clive Leatherdale argues that he was a Druze from Lebanon. Isadore Jay Gold also states that he was a Druze, but from Syria. Hamza was a graduate of the American College of Beirut and the Jerusalem Law School. He joined the court of King Abdulaziz in Hejaz in December 1926. and first served him as a translator. He was appointed deputy foreign minister in 1930 replacing Abdullah Al Damluji in the post, an Iraqi adviser of King Abdulaziz. The same year Hamza also became a member of the permanent committee attached to the royal diwan.

Following the establishment of the council of deputies in December 1931, Hamza was made one of its four members as the undersecretary of foreign affairs. Hamza had connections with the supporters of the Palestinian cause in Jerusalem and Transjordan during this period. Giovanni Persico, Fascist Italy's consul in Jeddah, transferred £5,000 to him to financially aid these groups. As the undersecretary of foreign affairs Hamza signed an amity treaty on behalf of Saudi Arabia with Egypt in Cairo on 7 May 1936. Through the treaty, Egypt recognized Saudi Arabia as an independent and sovereign state, and diplomatic relations between the two countries began. However, Hamza met with David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the Zionist and Jewish Agency Executive, at his Beirut home on 13 April 1937. In this unofficial meeting Ben Gurion attempted to get information about King Abdulaziz's views on the formation of a Jewish state in the Middle East, and Hamza suggested him to meet with Ibn Saud as well as Crown Prince Saud and Yusuf Yasin during the latter's visit to London for the coronation of King George VI.

Hamza participated in the London Conference held in January 1939 to discuss the future of the Palestine. Hamza was named as the Saudi ambassador to France in 1939. He represented Saudi Arabia in the Vichy Conference and the Ankara Conference held during World War II.

Following World War II Hamza was appointed Saudi envoy to the United States. In 1947 he was named as the minister of development. He worked at the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia as deputy minister until his death in 1951. Yusuf Yasin replaced him in the post. Hamza died in 1951. He wrote several books on Saudi Arabia, first of which was published in 1933.