Hafez Shortlisted in SEENews 2019 Best Spokesperson

As part of SEENews poll to choose the Best Spokesperson of the Year 2019, here are brief profiles of the four shortlisted characters. The profiles are being published consecutively.

The profiles are deemed an additional help to the readers so as to choose the correct person for the SEENews Best Spokesperson of the Year 2019 Award.

One of the most popular official spokespersons in Egypt is Ahmed Hafez, the official spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In October 2018, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry appointed Ahmed Hafez as the new spokesman for the ministry.

Hafez served as deputy head of Egypt's Representation Office to the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah.

He also worked abroad at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, DC, as well as at the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Hafez worked in the foreign minister's office handling the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as well as serving as the director of Syria and Lebanon affairs during his tenure at the Ministry's General Directorate.

He also worked in the multilateral economic relations sector early in his diplomatic career.

Hafez started his diplomatic career in 1999.

It is worthy of note that Ahmed Abu Zeid, the previous foreign ministry's spokesman, has been appointed as ambassador to Canada, according to a presidential decree in August.

Hafez is responsible for developing and implementing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Policy. He is responsible for explaining Egypt's foreign policy, Egypt's international positions and the Foreign Minister's tasks and activities to the local and international media through:

• Issuing daily statements on the activities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and members of the Ministry at home and abroad.
• Provide periodic briefings to Egyptian and foreign journalists and deal with all media.
• Supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the social media outlets "Facebook" and "Twitter" and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Blog.
• Supervising the administration of public diplomacy and communicating with universities, research centers, youth groups and civil society organizations to publicize Egypt's international positions and the main principles and determinants of its foreign policies.
• Coordination of public diplomacy and foreign parliamentary tours and visits. 

It’s noteworthy that SEENews’s Spokesperson of the Year 2019 Shortlist includes:

Ambassador Bassam Rady, the Official Spokesperson of the Presidency.

Counselor Ahmed Hafez, the Official Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry.

Colonel Tamer El Refaie, the Official Spokesperson of the Armed Forces.

Hany Younes, the Cabinet’s Official Spokesperson.