Tuesday 8 July 2008 afternoon ceremony
 H E Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani (LLD)
As a child, Sheikh Yamani
received both a traditional
general schooling and an
education in Islamic Law
from eminent jurists in the
Holy Mosque. He then
entered the King Fouad 1
University in Cairo,
graduating in 1951.
His working life in the
Kingdom commenced
with a short-term position
as a government official,
but this was curtailed to
take up graduate studies at
New York University where, in 1955, he was awarded a
Master's Degree. He received a Master of Law from Harvard
University in June 1956.
Upon his return, Sheikh Yamani took up the post of Legal
Adviser to both the Tax and the Oil and Minerals departments.
In 1957 he inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s first law office and
following this became Legal Adviser to the Council of Ministers
under Crown Prince Faisal. In 1959, he was appointed a
Minister of State and a member of the Cabinet. He also
continued to teach Law part-time at the King Saud University in
Riyadh (1957-60).
Sheikh Yamani was named Minister of Petroleum and Mineral
Resources in March 1962, an office he held until October
1986. He became the first Chairman of the University of
Petroleum and Minerals in Dharan in 1963, and served in this
capacity until 1976.
Sheikh Yamani founded the Centre for Global Energy Studies,
in London, to carry out objective studies dealing with the global
energy question.
In 1988, as a contribution to Islamic culture, Sheikh Yamani
established the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, an
institution based in South West London, to facilitate the
preservation and publication of old Arabic and Islamic
manuscripts.
Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani has several honorary doctorate
degrees from universities in North and South America, Europe,
Asia and Africa.
Listen to Sheikh Yamani speech here.
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