NEWS STORY : UK Appoints Qudsi Rasheed OBE as His Majesty’s Ambassador to Kuwait
STORY
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today announced the appointment of Mr Qudsi Rasheed OBE as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, succeeding Ms Belinda Lewis, who will be transferring to another diplomatic post later this year. Mr Rasheed, a career diplomat and barrister, will assume his duties in September 2025. He brings a wealth of experience from senior roles across the Middle East and within the FCDO’s London headquarters. Most recently, he served as Deputy Head of Mission in Cairo from 2021 to 2024 and completed a period of full-time Arabic language training in 2020–21 alongside a stint as Deputy Director of the COVID Task Force.
Prior to his Cairo posting, Mr Rasheed was Deputy Director for Multilateral Policy and Head of the Sanctions Unit at the FCDO between 2018 and 2020. His overseas assignments include leading the UK Syria Office in Beirut (2017–18) and serving as External Relations Counsellor at UKREP Brussels (2014–17). Earlier in his career he was a Legal Adviser in the FCO’s Legal Directorate (2011–14) and, before joining the service in 2011, practised as a barrister after being called to the Bar of England and Wales. Mr Rasheed’s appointment underlines the UK’s commitment to deepening ties with Kuwait on energy, trade and regional security. During his tenure, he will work to strengthen bilateral cooperation on climate resilience, investment and cultural exchange, aimed at building on decades of UK–Kuwait partnership.
