Dig Days:

The ambassador who loved Egyptology

By Zahi Hawass

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There are always people in your life on whom you depend for advice and who you consider as a kind of guardian. In my life, this man is Ambassador Abdel-Raouf El-Reedi. I have depended upon him for many decisions in my life, and I always view his advice as sincere and useful. He is a man you can trust because he is genuine, honest, and loves his country without looking for a position or reward.

I met Ambassador El-Reedi in 1983 while I was pursuing a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. His office called me and said he wanted to talk to me. I heard his voice on the other end of the telephone and felt that he could enter into the heart of a person very easily. We also both discovered that we were from the same city in the Delta, Damietta. I even began calling and speaking to him with a Damietta accent.

Ambassador El-Reedi came to the United States as ambassador after Ashraf Gorbal, who was considered one of the best Egyptian ambassadors ever and played an important role in Egyptian-American relations during the time of President Anwar El-Sadat. It was difficult for anyone to fill his position. But El-Reedi used another type of diplomacy, the diplomacy of being frank and sincere, which caused him to enter into the hearts of many Americans and was useful in helping Egypt in many ways concerning the AIDS issue. Actually, his efforts on behalf of AIDS victims in America made him one of the few ambassadors to become a great public figure when he returned to Egypt. He made the decision to care not only about Washington's senators and congressmen but also believed that he should go into the country and meet the representatives of the people, such as senators and congressmen, in their own towns, and also members of the general public who have an effect on the decision- makers in Washington.

When the Ramses II exhibition toured 12 cities in the United States in 1987, I discovered that Ambassador El-Reedi was passionate about Egyptology. He also realised that this could be used as a tool in helping his country in the United States. We travelled together to many cities to announce the coming of the Ramses II exhibition. We went to Denver, Dallas, Jacksonville, using culture as a political message. El-Reedi actually captured the hearts of the Americans. We also went to Memphis for the opening of the exhibition. El-Reedi successfully played an important role in bringing the Ramses II exhibition to Memphis, Tennessee. After the opening event we travelled to Arkansas and met Senator Bill Clinton. Ambassador El-Reedi in his beautiful manner raised his finger to me and said, "you should know that this man will be the president of the United States, and he will be a good president."

When El-Reedi returned to Egypt he was one of the few ambassadors to become a public figure. This was due to many reasons, such as his smile, his love of people, and his honesty. The Egyptians recognised what he had done for Egypt in the United States. He also has great charisma, and the media regularly pursues him for advice. He has dedicated part of his time to doing great things for Damietta, his hometown, because he grew up in a beautiful town called Ezbet Al-Borg located directly to the east of the seaside resort of Ras Al-Bar. He also became the director of the Mubarak Library and introduced many great Egyptians to young people so that they could talk to them. I believe that this cultural programme has taught these young people a lot because they listened to the advice given by people in the media whom they respect. He also showed his enthusiasm for the King Tut exhibition in Chicago, meeting American congressmen and politicians to discuss Egyptian and American relations.

When I was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world for 2005, El-Reedi organised a celebration for me at the Mubarak Library. After his speech, I found tears running down my cheeks. He is a great man, and his heart is full of love for people. He has never hated anyone but always has a smile and works passionately for his country. Everyone considers his personality to be perfect. Ambassador El-Reedi is the ideal in my life.