The Foreign Ministry and the Egyptian Embassy in France mourned the passing away of Ambassador Ali Maher who died Wednesday 23 November at 77. Maher is a prominent Egyptian diplomat and intellectual figure. Born on 4 January 1939, Maher belongs to a family of diplomats. He is the grandson of Egypt's former prime minister Ahmed Maher Pasha (1882-1960) and brother of Ahmed Maher, former minister of foreign affairs (2002-2004). He studied law at Cairo University. A skilled diplomat, Maher served his government in various diplomatic capacities. He served as ambassador to France (1993-2002) and was appointed secretary-general of the Arab Thought Foundation where he played an important role in improving cross-cultural dialogue and presenting a global view of Arab culture. From 2006-2008, Maher was director of the Institute for Peace Studies. He was adviser to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina until 2010, becoming head of external relations at the Bibliotheca.