Khalifa Ahmad Mubarak
Born
Khalifa Ahmad Abdulaziz Mubarak

1947
Died8 February 1984(1984-02-08) (aged 36–37)
Paris, France
Cause of deathAssassination
NationalityEmirati
Years active1970s–1984
Children4, including Khaldon
AwardsLegion of Honour

Khalifa Ahmad Mubarak (Arabic: خليفة أحمد مبارك; 1947–1984) was an Emirati diplomat who was assassinated in Paris on 8 February 1984 while serving as the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to France.

Early life and education

Mubarak was born in 1947.[1] He hailed from a leading merchant family.[2] His father, Sheikh Ahmad bin Abdulaziz, helped the establishment of the UAE's judiciary system and served as the head of the UAE's Sharia Judicial Department.[1][3]

Mubarak obtained a university degree in philosophy and sociology in Beirut, Lebanon.[1]

Career and assassination

Mubarak was promoted to the rank of minister plenipotentiary and became the permanent representative of the UAE to the UNESCO in Paris on 22 November 1973.[1] During his tenure he was vice president of the Institut du Monde Arabe.[1] He was also named as the ambassador to Sudan in 1973.[1] Then he became the ambassador to Syria in 1976.[1]

Mubarak was appointed the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France in 1980.[4] He was shot by a man in front of his residence on Avenue Charles Floquet in Paris on 8 February 1984.[4][5] He died at Saint Anne's Hospital after the attack.[6][7] The Arab Revolutionary Brigades assumed the responsibility of the murder arguing that they killed him due to the links of the UAE to American imperialism and its expulsion of Palestinians.[6][8] Atef Abu Bakr, a former member of the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), claimed in 2015 that Mubarak was murdered by the ANO.[9]

Following the assassination of Mubarak the UAE declared a three-day mourning period.[10]

Mubarak was succeeded by Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Jarman as the UAE's ambassador to France.[11]

Personal life and awards

Mubarak was married and had four children, including Razan, Mohammad and Khaldon.[3][5][11]

Mubarak was a recipient of the French award Legion of Honour.[1]

Legacy

A street in Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Al Mubarak, was named in memory of him in 2014.[7][11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "خليفة المبارك شهيد فوق العادة". Al Bayan (in Arabic). 29 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Christopher M. Davidson (2011). Abu Dhabi: Oil and Beyond. London: Hurst. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-84904-153-9.
  3. 1 2 Simeon Kerr; Andrew England (3 December 2019). "The rise of Abu Dhabi power broker Khaldoon Al Mubarak". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Emirates' Ambassador To France Assassinated". The Washington Post. 9 February 1984. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Envoy for United Arab Emirates is slain in Paris". The New York Times. 9 February 1984. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  6. 1 2 Brigid Phillips (8 February 1984). "A gunman pumped two bullets into the head". United Press International. Paris. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 Samir Salama (19 August 2015). "Brave who gave their all for the nation". Gulf News. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Con Coughlin (1 January 2021). "French courts seek justice for Abu Nidal's victims 40 years on". The National. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Al Arabiya reveals how Abu Nidal had representatives in Europe". Al Arabiya English. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  10. ↑ Ibrahim Abed; Paula Casey-Vine; Abdullah Al Jabali, eds. (1996). Chronicle of Progress. London: Trident Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-1-900724-03-6.
  11. 1 2 3 Samir Salama (28 February 2014). "Khalifa Al Mubarak street a tribute to ultimate sacrifice". Gulf News. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
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