Person

Šuqairī, Aḥmad aš-

1908–1980

He was the first Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, serving in 1964–67; he was a member of the Syrian delegation to the United Nations from 1949 to 1951; he then became assistant Secretary General for the Arab League from 1950–56, Saudi ambassador to the United Nations from 1957 to 1962. At the 1964 Arab League summit (Cairo), he was given a mandate to initiate contacts aimed at establishing a Palestinian entity. In May 1964, he was elected the first Chairman of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization).