View source for Muhammad Said al-Attar

{{Short description|Yemeni politician and diplomat (1927–2005)}}
{{Other people|Mohammed Said}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2010}}
[[File:Al-Attar photo.jpg|thumb|]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
'''Muhammad Said al-Attar''' ({{langx|ar|محمد سعيد العطار}}) (26 November 1927 – 20 November 2005)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rulers.org/indexa5.html |title = Index At-Az}}</ref> was the acting [[Prime Minister of Yemen]] for five months in 1994. During his career, he held various ministerial positions in Yemen and represented his country at the United Nations. From 1974 to 1985, Muhammad Said Al-Attar was Executive Secretary of the [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia|United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia]] (currently ESCWA).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unescwa.org/about-escwa |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305062529/https://www.unescwa.org/about-escwa |archive-date=5 March 2016 |title=About ESCWA {{!}} United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia}}</ref>

== Career ==
Muhammad Said Al-Attar was born in 1927 in [[Djibouti]] from a Yemeni father originally from Al-Hojariya, (in [[Taiz Governorate|Taez governorate]], Al-Shomayatayn district) and a Yemeni mother from [[Ash-Shihr|Ash Shihr]] coastal town in [[Hadhramaut Governorate|Hadhramaut governorate]] (Southern Yemen).

He undertook his primary and secondary education between Djibouti and [[Aden]], before moving to [[Paris]] where he obtained several degrees in French literature from the [[University of Paris]] and a doctorate (Ph.D) in economics and social science from the Faculté des Lettres at the [[Sorbonne University|Sorbonne]]. Between 1959 and 1962, he was a research fellow at the Institut d’Etudes du Developpement Economic et Social in Paris.

In 1962, Muhammad Said Al-Attar joined the Republican revolutionary movement in Northern Yemen and supported the “26 September revolution” against the [[Imams of Yemen|Imamat]] .

In November 1962, he was appointed as the first Director General of the Yemen Bank for Reconstruction and Development and a member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs. He subsequently acted as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy and member of the High Committee for Planning from 1965 to 1967, and played a crucial role during the “70 days siege of Sanaa” in 1967. Between 1968 and 1971, Al-Attar was the Permanent Representative of the Arab Republic of Yemen at the United Nations in New York; he was appointed to this position again in 1973. He held the rank of Ambassador when he represented Yemen at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund conferences in 1971, and at the 1972 General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

In December 1973, Al-Attar was appointed Executive Secretary of the newly established [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia|United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia]] (currently ESCWA) with the rank of [[Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Under-Secretary General]]. He held this position until 1985 when he returned to the [[Yemen Arab Republic|Arab Republic of Yemen]].

Before and after [[Yemeni unification|Yemeni reunification]], he served in the government as Acting Prime Minister (1994), Deputy Prime Minister (1985–1990, 1992–1994, 1995–1997),<ref>http://www.alhayat.com/article/1870219 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Minister of Development (1985–1990), President of the Central Planning Body (1985),  Minister of Industry (1990–1992), President of the General Investment Authority (1992–1993) and Minister of Petrol and Mineral resources (1995–1997).<ref>http://www.alhayat.com/article/1888642 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Between 1997 and 2002, Al-Attar was the [[Permanent representative|Permanent Representative of the Republic of Yemen]] to the [[United Nations]] in [[Geneva]].

Muhammad Said Al-Attar died on 20 November 2005 in [[Beirut]] where he was receiving medical treatment.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.almotamar.net/pda/25901.htm | title=- رئاسة الجمهورية ومجلس الوزراء ينعيان وفاة المناضل الكبير الدكتور محمد سعيد العطار }}</ref>

In 2007, Faysal Al-Oubuthani wrote in [[Al-Hayat]] newspaper: “We must recognise for a moment what this Yemeni man has given his country and all the Arab countries. A cultured economist fluent in foreign languages who has worked tirelessly to elevate the name of his country in international and regional fora while striding to gain respect for all Arab countries. Those who knew him closely and worked under his supervision can testify to the praise and recognition he gained from international economists and officials of several international organizations.”<ref>http://www.alhayat.com/article/1241173 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

Al-Attar was a member of the International Sociological Association (Madrid), the International Institute for Economic Sciences (Geneva), the Third World Forum (Dakar) and the Arabic Center for Studies (Amman).

== Honours ==
Muhammad Said Al-Attar received the Legion of Honour (Ordre National de la Légion d'honneur, highest French order of merit).

== Publications ==

Author of “Le sous-développement économique et social du Yemen: perspectives de la révolution yéménite”

He published articles and studies in various newspapers and magazines, including “Le Monde” (Paris), “Politique Etrangere” (Paris), “Economie et Humanisme” (Paris), “Revolution Africaine” (Alger), “ Al-Ahram” and “Al-Taliah” (Cairo), “Dirassat Arabia” (Beirut) and “Jeune Afrique” (Paris).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sabanews.net/ar/news103558.htm Saba Net]
*[https://www.unescwa.org/about-escwa UN ESCWA]
*[http://www.alhayat.com/article/1870219 Al-Hayat]
*[http://www.alhayat.com/article/1888642 Al-Hayat]
*[http://www.almotamar.net/pda/25901.htm Almotamar Net]
*[http://www.alhayat.com/article/1241173 Al-Hayat]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box|title=[[Prime Minister of Yemen]]|before=[[Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas]]|after=[[Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani]]|years=1994}}
{{s-end}}

{{YemenPMs}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Attar, Muhammad Said al-}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:Prime ministers of Yemen]]
[[Category:20th-century Yemeni politicians]]
[[Category:Attas Cabinet]]
[[Category:Abdulghani Cabinet]]
[[Category:University of Paris alumni]]
[[Category:Paris-Sorbonne University alumni]]
[[Category:Economy ministers of Yemen]]
[[Category:Permanent representatives of Yemen to the United Nations]]
[[Category:Industry and trade ministers of Yemen]]
[[Category:Oil and mineral ministers of Yemen]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour]]