Dr. Ausaf Sayeed’s Bioprofile
Ambassador Dr Ausaf Sayeed (b. September 18, 1963) is a seasoned Indian diplomat (IFS 1989 Batch) and strategic thinker who has served as Secretary (CPV and OIA) in the Ministry of External Affairs, as Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and as High Commissioner to Seychelles.
He also served as a diplomat in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Denmark, Yemen and Chicago. In India, he served as Joint Secretary (West Africa) in Delhi and as Regional Passport Officer in Hyderabad.
As Secretary (CPV & OIA), he was responsible for all matters relating to Consular, Passport, Visas, Overseas Emigration, and NRI & Overseas Indian Affairs, as well as affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and West Asia and North Africa (WANA) countries.
During his nearly 34 years of diplomatic service, Dr Sayeed has represented India’s interests in the political, economic, consular, and cultural realms and has fostered friendly relationships with nations around the world.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed holds a Master of Science and a PhD in Geology from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India and an Advanced Diploma in Arabic from the American University in Cairo.
He is a Competent Toastmaster (CTM), author, columnist and business strategist. He is a recipient of Shri Y.G.K.Murthy Gold Medal from Osmania University. He is also a recipient of the Yoga Mithra Award from S-Vyasa University, Bengaluru, for promoting Yoga in Saudi Arabia.
Family Background
Dr Ausaf Sayeed is of Hadhrami Arab descent, belonging to a respectable family of Hyderabad Deccan, with roots in Mukallah in Hadhramaut (Yemen). He belongs to Al-Musalli (Al-Yafayee) clan (qabila). His paternal great-grandfather, Jabir Bin Abdullah, served as a State Financier under Sultan Awadh-I bin Omar Al Qu’aiti (Nawab Sultan Nawaz Jung Bahadur Shamsheer-ud-Daula Shamsheer-ul-Mulk). His paternal grandfather, Sayeed bin Awaz Bin Jabir Bin Abdullah, served as State Financiers under His Highness Sultan Omar bin Awadh Al Qu’aiti (Nawab Sir Jan-Baz Jung Bahadur K.C.I.E.) and His Highness Sultan Sir Saleh bin Ghalib Al Qu’aiti (Saif Nawaz Jung Bahadur). On his maternal side, his grandfather Mohammad Abdul Ghani served as a District Judge in undivided Andhra Pradesh in the 1950s. On the maternal side, Sayeed’s grandparents hailed from Surat in Gujarat before relocating to Hyderabad.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed is married to Farha, an accomplished Egg Sculptor/Egg Artist and Painter. The couple has three sons, Faateh, Faaleh and Azhaan.
Education
Dr Ausaf Sayeed is an alumnus of American University in Cairo, Egypt (Arabic language); Osmania University, Hyderabad (M.Sc., Ph.D. in Geology); P.G.College of Science, Saifabad, Hyderabad (B.Sc); Anwarul-Uloom Degree College, Hyderabad (Intermediate); St.Georges’ Grammar School, Abids, Hyderabad (6th-10th Grades) and Jawahar Upper Primary School, Vijayanagar Colony, Hyderabad (LKG to 5th grades).
Professional Career
Dr Ausaf Sayeed has handled various areas of work throughout his long diplomatic service, including political, economic, consular, and cultural work, as well as Hajj management.
As Regional Passport Officer, Hyderabad (1993-1995), he made the office people-friendly by eliminating agents and intermediaries.
Dr Sayeed launched several business groups during his assignment in the Gulf (GCC) countries to promote trade and economic relations between India and the Gulf. Some of these include the Indian Business Network (Riyadh -1996/97), the Professionals of India, Saudi Arabia (POISA), Dammam (1996/97), the Indian Business and Professional Network (IBPN), Qatar (1998), the Saudi Indian Business Network (SIBN), Jeddah (2005), the Indo-Saudi Medical Forum (ISMF), Jeddah (2006) and the Indian Education Council (IEC), Jeddah (2006).
As Consul General of India in Chicago, he worked closely with key elected and state officials and business leaders to further India’s political and economic interests. He was instrumental in establishing the ‘Smart State Partnership’ between Illinois and Telangana.
As India’s Ambassador to Yemen, he was instrumental in achieving breakthroughs in several key areas of political, security, economic, and cultural cooperation. In the aftermath of the political and security crisis in 2011, he arranged for the smooth evacuation of hundreds of stranded Indian nationals from different conflict zones in Yemen. Dr Sayeed also served as Joint Secretary (West Africa) from 2008-2010 and was responsible for India’s political and economic relations with 25 West and Central African countries. He was also responsible for implementing the Pan-African e-Network Project.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed has contributed to promoting India’s rich cultural heritage abroad. He was associated with the inauguration of the Maulana Azad Cultural Centre in Cairo (1992). In 1997, he organised the “Satyajit Ray: in Retrospect” one-week film festival of the renowned director’s films in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As Coordinator of the Indian Cultural Centre in Doha, Qatar, he organised a 9-day festival ‘India Week in Qatar’ (1999) in association with the National Council of Culture, Art and Heritage in Qatar. In 2003, he organised joint Painting Exhibitions and Workshops involving leading Indian and Danish painters in various cities in Denmark.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed is a patron of the Urdu language and literature, and has organised several Mushairas, seminars, symposia, humorous sessions, Ghazal and musical programmes, and a World Urdu Conference in Jeddah.
During his tenure as the Consul General of India in Jeddah, he organised the first-ever ‘India Festival in Jeddah’ (September 2005), followed by the ‘First Asian Festival in Jeddah’ (October 2006) and the ‘First Asian Film Festival’ (February 2008). He was closely involved with the formation of the Saudi-India Friendship Society in 2006 under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Information and Culture. He was also associated with the Saudi-India Civil Society Dialogue and was instrumental in organising the visit of the First All-Women Saudi Student Delegation (from Dar-Al Hekma College) to India in 2007.
He formed the ‘Asian Consuls General Club’ (ACGC) in Jeddah in 2005, which comprised Consuls General of thirteen Asian countries. He was instrumental in the publication of the book ‘Historic Indo-Arab Ties’ (September 2005) by the Indian Consulate.
As the Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, Dr Ausaf Sayeed launched a revamped Saudi–India Business Network (SIBN) in the Kingdom in September 2020, initially with chapters in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. He also relaunched the Indo-Saudi Medical Forum as the Saudi-India Healthcare Forum (SIHF), with chapters in Jeddah and Riyadh, to boost healthcare sector cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia.
He was instrumental in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Yoga between India and Saudi Arabia, the first such agreement between an Islamic nation and India. The prestigious Yoga Mithra Award was presented to him by the S-Vyasa University for his efforts to promote Yoga in Saudi Arabia.
He was one of the key architects of the Strategic Partnership Council set between India and Saudi Arabia during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Riyadh in October 2019.
As Secretary (CPV & OIA), he has overseen India’s overall relations with countries in the GCC and WANA regions and has helped further cement India’s ties with Arab and Islamic countries. During his tenure, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited India as Chief Guest of the Republic Day in January 2023 while Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Egypt in June 2023. The Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia HRH Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud paid a bilateral visit to India in September 2023, after participating in the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Books
He has published four books (i) ‘Trends in Objective Geology for Civil Services and Other Competitive Examinations’, CBS Publishers, New Delhi (First Edition, 1990; Third Edition, 2003) (ii) ‘Trends In Indian Culture And Heritage: For Civil Services (Prelims And Mains) and Other Competitive Examinations’ , Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi, 2011, (iii) ‘Indian Art and Culture’, Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi, 2011 and (iv) Indian Art and Culture: A Journey through Time and Tradition, Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi, 2025. He also compiled and edited the Urdu book ‘Kuliyaat-e-Awaz Sayeed’ (2009), which comprises the entire literary works of his father, Awaz Sayeed.