Simon Collis has been British ambassador to Saudi Arabia since February 2015.
Led by Collis, a British delegation visited the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to meet its chairman, Hisham Kaaki, and discuss promoting business and economic relations, and strengthening partnerships with Makkah’s businessmen.
Collis shared his country’s desire to see the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan succeed, “through which it will become possible to increase cooperation in educational fields, financial solutions, tourism, and investments in mega-projects in Saudi Arabia.”
Earlier, Collis met with Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, discussing issues of common concern.
Collis was born in Sheffield, and he attended the King Edward VII School, and then headed to Christ’s College in Cambridge.
He began serving in the UK Diplomatic Service in 1978 as a second secretary in Bahrain from 1981-1984. Later, he was appointed as the Middle East spokesman in the news department of Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
He became the head of India Section in the South Asia Department in 1987, and a year later, he was appointed as deputy head of mission in Tunis. He served in the Gulf War Emergency Unit from 1990-1991.
After that, he was upgraded to First Secretary in New Delhi, India, then he became deputy head of the Near East & North Africa Department and then deputy head of mission in Amman, Jordan. He served as consul-general in Dubai in 2000.
He was also British ambassador to Qatar, Syria and Iraq.
In 2016, Collis converted to Islam and became the first UK ambassador to perform Hajj.
