The late Hamouda bin Ali bin Ghanim bin Hamouda

Born in 1940, the late Hamouda bin Ali bin Ghamin bin Hamouda dedicated his life to the service of his country. In 1958, at the age of 18 he joined the Abu Dhabi Police Force. Studying at the Police College in Kuwait, he graduated in 1961 with the rank of Second Lieutenant and returned to Abu Dhabi where he worked as a criminal investigator. Committed to his work, Mr. Bin Hamouda became Assistant Chief of Police and later Deputy Chief of Police and Security in 1969, followed by his appointment as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior in the Government of Abu Dhabi in 1971. In 1972 he was appointed Minister of State for Internal Affairs in the Federal Government. In 1990, Mr. Bin Hamouda was appointed Interior Minister, a post he held until 1992. Throughout his career, Mr. Bin Hamouda participated in high-level ministerial committees and represented the Emirate at a number of regional and international conferences. He chaired the sixth meeting of the Interior Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council and was awarded the Order of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in recognition of his efforts to unify the security policies of the GCC countries. Appointed by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as his Advisor, a position he held until his death in 2001, he was also presented with a the Medal of Dedicated Service in honour of his life-long commitment to his country. Throughout his career, Mr. Bin Hamouda combined his practical experience with academic knowledge in order to achieve the State’s vision of peace and security for all residents and citizens. His leadership within the Police Force and in the Ministry of Interior has left a lasting legacy of modernisation of working practices.