Quick Facts
Biography
Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (Arabic: يوسف بن علوي بن عبد الله, born 1945) is an Omani politician. He is currently the Sultanate of Oman's Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs. The Sultan remains the official Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Alawi studied and worked in Kuwait. In 1970 he met sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said for the first time, shortly after his take-over. Alawi had been a dissident and associated with a Dhofar secession movement against the current Sultan's father. However, once Sultan Qaboos came to power he encouraged Omani dissidents to come out of overseas exile and help rebuild Oman. From 1973 till 1974 Yusuf bin Alawi was ambassador in Beirut.
He was appointed as the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs in 1997 by Royal Decree No. 85/97.
Alawi has recently met with the US Secretary of State in Washington to discuss ways to better engage Iran. Oman is unusual among Arab states of the Persian Gulf in that it has a long history of cordial relations with Tehran, something Washington is keen to make use of in resolving a number of regional security issues.
Hacking
In 2019, it was revealed that Yusuf bin Alawihad been targeted by Project Raven; a UAEclandestinesurveillance and hacking operation, targeting other governments, militants and human rights activists critical of the UAE monarchy. Using a "sophisticated spying tool called Karma" they managed to hack a device belonging to Yusuf bin Alawi.
