His Excellency Mr. Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh currently serves as the Cultural Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and as Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University.

His continuous government service dates from 1968, prior to the foundation of the UAE and thereafter.  From the late 1960s His Excellency acted as the personal interpreter and adviser to His Highness, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, founder and President of the UAE. He served as a Minister of State in the UAE Government and as Cultural Adviser to the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs. He also was the inaugural Director of the UAE Federal Ministry of Information and established and managed the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. As Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, and as member of the Board of what is now the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, His Excellency developed many of the strategies that promulgate understanding of UAE culture and values and advance international political, economic, and societal cooperation.

His Excellency assisted the establishment of the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in 2006 and acted as the Chairman of its Board of Trustees.  He chairs the UAE National Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee and is a member of the Board of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the Board of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Board of the International Prize for Arab Fiction, and the Board of Abu Dhabi University. He has also held Board roles at the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics, the Alliance Française in Paris, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, and the ‘Friends of Bayreuth: The Wagner Society’ – in both Germany and Abu Dhabi.

His Excellency holds a master’s degree in economics from Queen’s College, University of Cambridge and an honorary PhD in Human Sciences from the Al Quds Arab University in Jerusalem.

His Excellency has been honoured with Arab and international awards for cultural diplomacy by numerous foreign governments and international institutes. These awards include:

• Exceptional Excellence Award Personality of the Year 2019 -- Beirut Institute Summit
• Personality of the Year 2018 Emirates Literary Festival (2018)
• Cultural Diplomat of the Year 2017, Abu Dhabi Cultural Summit
• Officer of the French Legion d’Honneur 2015
• The Golden Medal of Arts 2014 from the Kennedy Centre Washington 2014.
• Commander of the Order of British Empire CBE (2013)
• Commander’s Cross of the German Order of Merit (2013)
• The European Foundation for Culture “European- Arab Culture Prize” in Leipzig (2013)
• The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Foundation Cultural Personality of the Year Award UAE (2013)
• The European Academy of Science and Arts Ring of Tolerance in Frankfurt (2012)
• Medal of Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis”- Republic of Poland (2010)
• Commander of the French Order of Arts et Lettres (July 2008)
• Abu Dhabi Award (2007)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria (January 2007)
• Commander of the French Order of the Palmes Academiques (February 2007)
• Grand Officer Star of Italian Solidarity (August 2007)
• Chevalier of the French Legion d’Honneur (May 2001)
• Officer of the Spanish Order of Merit (July 1999)
• Commander of the British Royal Victorian Order - CVO (July 1989)
• Commander of the Italian Order of Merit (1983)
• Officer of the French Order of Merit (August 1980)
• Officer of the Jordanian Order of Independence (1969)