page_title: Alwi Shihab
section_title: Career
hierarchical_section_title: Alwi Shihab / Career
caption_attribution_description: English: Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Abdurrahman Shihab (left) is escorted through an honor cordon and into the Pentagon by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz on March 12, 2001. Shihab and Wolfowitz are meeting to discuss regional security issues of interest to both nations.
context_page_description: Alwi Abdurrahman Shihab is one of the leading authorities and scholars on the interaction of Christian and Muslim communities. Currently he is the Indonesian President's special envoy to the Middle East and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He held the office of Indonesian Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare in 2004–2005 and the Foreign Minister of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001.
context_section_description: In politics, His political career started when he was elected as member of Indonesian parliament and then minister of foreign affairs in The Wahid administration. Alwi was the chairman of PKB (The National Awakening Party). He served as Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and a minister in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's cabinet.
  Alwi, unlike his brothers who focus their career in education and Islamic studies only, has also strong business entrepreneurship.  Since after completing his education in Cairo, Alwi started some businesses. In 1975 to 1979 he was CEO of Glass Priangan Factory in Cianjur, Indonesia.  During 1979 -1982 he was the President of Director for Alfa Contracting Company in Jeddah.  In 1982 to 1986 he was the President of Director of PT. Prima Advera company in Jakarta.  In 1982 he founded  Yayasan Darul Qur'an, also in Jakarta. During 1986 -1990 he became a member of board of directors at Eagle Tripelti in Jakarta and since 1986, he has been a member of the board of Dhafco Manunggal Sejati, Jakarta.
  On October 26, 2004 he was honorarily discharged from PKB due to the party's internal political conflict and clash with some other leaders.  In 2007 he founded his own party, Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU) or "Party of National Scholar Awakening" in which he still serves as the chairman until now.
  Since 2006, Alwi has been appointed as the president's special envoy to the Middle East and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
caption: Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab (left) is escorted through an honor cordon and into the Pentagon by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz on March 12, 2001
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