Abdulla Shahid

His Excellency Abdulla Shahid ޢަބްދުﷲ ޝާހިދު
Shahid in 2021
President of the 76th UN General Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 September 2021
Preceded by	Volkan Bozkır
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 November 2018
President	Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Preceded by	Mohamed Asim
In office 23 August 2007 – 11 November 2008
President	Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom
Preceded by	Ahmed Shaheed
Succeeded by	Ahmed Shaheed
16th Speaker of the People's Majlis[1]
In office 28 May 2008 – 28 May 2014
President	Mohamed Nasheed Mohammed Waheed Hassan Abdulla Yameen
Preceded by	Mohamed Shihab
Succeeded by	Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed
Member of Parliament for constituency
In office 28 May 2014 – 14 November 2018
Member of Parliament for Keyodhoo constituency
In office 28 May 2008 – 28 May 2014
President’s Member to the Special Majlis
President’s Member to the People’s Majlis
Vaavu Atoll Member to the Special Majlis
Executive Secretary to the President
Personal details
Born	(1962-05-26) 26 May 1962 (age 59) Malé, Maldives
Nationality	Maldivian
Political party	MDP[2][3]
Children	1 daughter and 2 sons
Alma mater	Canberra College of Advanced Education, Australia Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA

Abdulla Shahid (Dhivehi: ޢަބްދުﷲ ޝާހިދު; born 26 May 1962)^[4] is a Maldivian politician who has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Maldives since 2018. He is the President of the United Nations General Assembly.^[5][6] Shahid is the first Maldivian politician to become the President of the General Assembly.

Early life and education[]

Shahid joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, then he had his bachelor's degree in political science at the Canberra College of Advanced Education in 1987. In 1990, he was a member of the advisory board of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom until 1994. In the meantime, he took a master's degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in 1991.^[4][7]

Career[]

Shahid served as the Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Maldives from 2009 to 2014.^[1] He was elected as the Speaker of the People’s Majlis on 28 May 2009, the seventeenth holder of the position.^[8] He won 42 votes out of 75 votes. Shahid played a key role in the Maldives’ transition to democracy in 2008.^[9] Abdulla Shahid is a member of MDP and is the parliament member for Henveiru Uthuru.^{[citation needed]}

Shahid meets with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. (20 February 2019).

Prior to his role as an MP, Shahid served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1984, eventually becoming Director. In this capacity, he also headed the International Organizations and Conferences Department, representing the Maldives at meetings and international gatherings including the United Nations, the Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Conference.^{[citation needed]}

Member of Parliament[]

In 2000, Shahid was elected as the Representative of the Vaavu Atoll constituency and served two terms as the Atoll’s Member. Shahid served in the Special Majlis (July 2004 – August 2008) which drafted the new Constitution of the Maldives. In May 2009, in the first multi-party parliamentary elections of the Maldives, Shahid won the Keyodhoo Constituency.^{[citation needed]}

Minister of Foreign Affairs[]

Shahid served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 23 August 2007 to 11 November 2008,^[8] in the presidency of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He had been appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2005.^{[citation needed]}

On 15 April 2013, Shahid resigned from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party.^[3] On 18 April 2013, he announced on Twitter that he had signed for MDP.^[10][7]

UN General Assembly President[]

On 7 June 2021, Shahid was elected as the 76th President of the United Nations General Assembly with an overwhelming 75 percent majority, with 143 in favour, 48 against, and no abstentions or invalid votes.^[11] On 23 December 2021 Shahid was tested positive for COVID-19.^[12]

References[]