Biography of Secretary General of OIC H.E. Mr. Iyad Amin Madani (born April 1946)

Biography of Secretary General of OIC H.E. Mr. Iyad Amin Madani (born April 1946) is a Saudi public figure who served in different cabinet posts. In addition, he is elected as the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He will be the first Saudi official to hold his position. Madani was born in Mecca in April 1946. He holds a bachelor's degree in production administration, which he obtained from Arizona State University in 1969. Madani began his career as general director in a Saudi Airlines’ administrative office in 1970. Then he joined media and he was editor-in-chief of Saudi Gazette until 1999, being the first editor of the daily. At the same time he served as general director of the Okaz Organization for Press and Publication until his resignation in April l993. He was appointed to the shoura council as a member. He served there until 1999 when he was appointed hajj minister. He was in office as Hajj minister from 1999 to February 2005. Next, he was appointed minister of culture and information in February 2005, replacing Fouad bin Abdulsalam Al Farsi, who in turn became Hajj minister. On 1 August 2005, Madani as information minister announced the death of King Fahd on state television. Madani was elected as the head of the Islamic International News Agency (IINA) and the Organization of Islamic Broadcasting in 2007. He was in office until 2009 and was replaced by Abdulaziz Al Khoja in the post. During his tenure, Madani drew criticisms from Saudi clerics due to his tolerance towards the publications that were questioning the strong effects of the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia. Then Madani was appointed chairman of the board of directors of Knowledge Economic City in Madinah on 10 March 2012, replacing Sami Mohsen Baroum. He also served as vice president of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Foundation for housing development. In November 2012, Saudi Arabia nominated Madani to the post of secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the 39th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC member states in Djibouti. On 2 February 2013, Arab News reported that Madani would replace Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as secretary-general of the OIC. His appointment was officially announced after the 12th Summit of the OIC in Cairo on 8 February 2013. Madani's term as secretary general of OIC will be effective in January 2014.