His Excellency Ambassador
Dr Moosa Jaafar Hassan
Biography, HE Dr Moosa Jaafar Hassan
The Beginning Of The Way
Born in 1950, our founder came from the family of one of the biggest merchants in the commercial center of Oman, Mutrah. As a young man, he studied Geography at Beirut University in Lebanon, before returning to Oman in 1976. Throughout his life, Dr. Hassan served both the Omani government and the wider community, became a highly respected diplomat, and produced numerous literary and academic works. He is fondly remembered as an enduring presence in the international community.
Life Experience
Dr Hassan became the Director of the Department of Cultural Relations at the Ministry of Education, his first official government appointment. In the same year, he was named for the second time as President of the Al-Alhy Club
Dr. Hassan's responsibilities at the Ministry of Education expanded as he was appointed Director General of Scholarships and External Relations.
His Excellency’s position at the Ministry of Education was extended to Director General of Missions and External Relations. It was in this capacity that he first attended the conferences of UNESCO, the Office of International Education, and The Arab Organisation for Education, Culture, and Science.
Dr. Hassan was elected as the first Secretary General of the University Club in Muscat (later renamed to the ‘Cultural Club’).
He was appointed as Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the Sultanate of Oman to UNESCO, in Paris, France, this was only the beginning of his esteemed diplomatic career. He continued to work as Ambassador of Oman to UNESCO until 2009, during which time he chaired several conferences, and gave numerous informed and impassioned speeches. He became well known for his entertaining and educated style of presentation.
Dr. Hassan was elected President of the General Conference, presiding over the 33rd session of the UNESCO General Conference.
His work with UNESCO during this time was recognised with three UNESCO Silver Medals, awarded to delegates for outstanding service.
Dr. Hassan's continuing work with UNESCO earned him a UNESCO Gold Medal. He went on to become the longest serving Ambassador Permanent Delegate in UNESCO's history.
Among his other decorations, he was awarded the title of ‘Ambassador for Peace’ by the International Federation for World Peace and the International Federation of Religions for Peace, in recognition of his ongoing diplomatic work.
His Excellency was promoted by Royal Decree to the position of Adviser with Special Grade as the Permanent Delegation of Oman to UNESCO from 2009 to 2016
Dr. Hassan was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in the Arts and Literature of the rank of Commander of the French Republic. This is the highest rank of the award, which represents significant contributions to French culture, and is shared by such literary greats as T.S. Eliot and Salman Rushdie.
He was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Honor from the Republic of Bulgaria, the highest honor that can be granted to non-Bulgarian nationals by the President, in recognition of his diplomatic efforts.
His Excellency was promoted by Royal Decree to the position of Adviser with Special Grade as the Permanent Delegation of Oman to UNESCO, he continued in this role until 2016.
Dr. Hassan received the great honor of being conferred the Oman Civil Order by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. The prestigious title was awarded in recognition of Dr. Hassan’s admirable work in carrying out his national duty.
He continued his diplomatic work as Adviser with Special Grade at the Embassy of Oman in Paris until his retirement in 2018.
His Excellency Dr Moosa Jaafar Hassan Sadly passed away in September 2020. We honor his memory and continue to follow his guiding principles as we move forward as a business in the wake of his passing.
Cultural Activities
As well as having written theatre works and novels, like the acclaimed Audat Shanjoub. Dr Hassan was a lifelong advocate of the right to education and published many academic and literary works, focusing on social and political issues, including a collection of his speeches as President of the General Conference of UNESCO, entitled ‘Dialogues: A Path to Love.’ His expertise in both the private and public sectors and intimate knowledge of high-level political processes, gained from his esteemed diplomatic career, were the foundations on which Al Ghafa was built and inform the principles on which we continue to operate.
