Mohamed Ibrahim Hakki

Washington, DC - Mohamed I. Hakki, 82, died October 24, 2015 at Manor Care Health Services, in Fair Oaks, VA following a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was predeceased by his wife, Leila N. Hakki 16 years earlier.

Mr. Hakki leaves behind three loving daughters; Honey Elsayed, Amal Hakki and Jasmine Hakki plus son in-law Ahmed Aly, and daughter in-law Pattie Yu. He also leaves behind 5 grandchildren: Omar Elsayed, Nadine Namoff, Tarek Hussein, Yasmina Hussein and Jenna Aly plus many close friends and colleagues. He is survived by his two sisters, Aida Hakki and Jailan Hakki, who both reside in his native country of Egypt.

Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, the son of Omnia Raouf and Ibrahim Hakki, Mr. Hakki was a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C.

From 1959-1972, Mr. Hakki was the Chief Foreign Editor and African Affairs Specialist for Al Ahram, the leading daily newspaper of the Middle East. He traveled extensively in Europe, the former Soviet Union, South Asia, the Far East, Australia, and sub-Saharan Africa, visiting nearly 25 African countries. He was the only Arab journalist to be invited to cover former U.S. President Richard Nixon’s trip to China in 1979.

Until 1981, he served seven years as Minister for Press and Information at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and was a key press liaison for such major events as the Camp David Accords and the assassination of President Sadat.

A journalist, lecturer, published author, and former Harvard and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Mr. Hakki was a highly respected authority on Middle East affairs and provided strategic counseling to numerous Fortune 500 companies, and a number of countries throughout the Arab world.

We will always carry your memory in our hearts.