Jon Wilks has been Registrar and Azman Hashim Fellow in International Relations at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies since January 2024. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute.
He retired from HM Diplomatic Service in 2023 after 34 years working mostly on the Middle East. He was British Ambassador to Qatar (2020-23), Iraq (2017-19), Oman (2014-2017) and Yemen (2010-11). He was also Special Envoy for Syria (2012-2014).
Jon worked in and on Iraq more than any other country and has been captivated by its history and its people. He is fluent in Arabic and continues to be active in building UK relations with the Middle East.