Said Tayeb Jawad

Said Tayeb Jawad (, born 1958) is an Afghan business leader, academic and diplomat.

He is the Chief Executive officer of Capitalize LLC, as well as Global Political Strategist and Senior Counselor at APCO Worldwide, and the Chairman of the American University of Afghanistan, a prominent private, liberal arts, not-for-profit, co-education University.

As CEO of Capitalize LLC, a strategic consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., he is leading a dynamic team of international business experts advising companies and investors on renewable energy, electrical vehicle infrastructure, defense, security, market entry, commercial opportunities, and development strategies in the United States and Central Asia and the Gulf regions.

As diplomat, he has served as the last ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation, from 2021 to 2022.

In 1980, shortly after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, he left the country and went into exile in Germany, where he studied law at the University of Münster.

In 1986 he settled in the United States, where he earned his MBA from the Golden Gate University in San Francisco and worked for a number of prominent law firms, including as a legal consultant at Steefel, Levitt & Weiss, a San Francisco Embarcadero law firm.

As Afghan Ambassador to the United States, he re-established the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. and developed it into one of the most responsive and successful missions in Washington.

He managed Afghanistan's diplomacy at a critical time with its key strategic partner through extensive interaction with the White House, State Department, Pentagon, U.S. Congress, U.S. media and academia; and initiated Afghanistan's diplomatic relations with Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico.

He is fluent in several languages, including Persian, Pashto, English, German and French.

He is married to Shamim Jawad, Founder and President of Ayenda Foundation, a charitable organization that works on projects for women and children in Afghanistan.

From 2002 to 2003, he was chief of staff to President Hamid Karzai.

As academic, Jawad joined Harvard University's Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in the John F. Kennedy School of Government as the inaugural Fisher Family Fellow.

Jawad went back to Afghanistan in March 2002.

He worked for Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office and became his press secretary.

By June, in addition to trying to coordinate the loya jirga, or grand council, for thousands of delegates and journalists, Jawad had become Karzai's Chief of Staff.

From December 2003 to September 2010, Jawad served as Ambassador to the United States.

He was also the non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina.

Until late 2003 he served as the President’s Press Secretary, Chief of Staff as well as the Director of the Office of International Relations at the Presidential Palace.

Jawad has worked closely with President Karzai in formulating strategies, implementing policies, building national institutions and prioritizing reforms in Afghanistan.

He also worked with the U.S. and Afghan military experts to help reform the Ministry of Defense, disarm local warlords and rebuild the Afghan National Army.

Jawad was instrumental in drafting Afghanistan's foreign investment laws; he served as President Karzai's principal liaison with the constitutional commission throughout the drafting of the Constitution of Afghanistan.

As Chief of Staff he accompanied the President and managed all foreign trips and state visits.

He observed cabinet meetings and participated in the National Security Council meetings.

On December 4, 2003, Jawad assumed his official duties as Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States and non-resident ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, making him Afghanistan's 19th top representative to the U.S. since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1934.

As part of his role as Afghanistan's envoy to the U.S., Jawad has worked closely with two presidential administrations on U.S. strategy towards Afghanistan; developed close links to members of the U.S. Congress; hosted numerous visits of high-level ministers and President Karzai; appeared in newspaper, magazine, radio and television interviews; spoken before audiences at universities, think tanks, charitable organizations and community groups; and received awards and commendations for his work for Afghanistan.

Jawad has appeared numerous times in major American and international papers and television shows.

He also regularly lectures and speaks at prominent universities and think tanks.

According to the Washington Times Jawad has maintained a high profile for Afghanistan, even as most public attention since 2003 has been focused on the Iraq War.Washington Times: Afghan Progress

In late 2009 there were rumours that Jawad would be appointed foreign minister of AfghanistanMondiaal Nieuws Nieuwe regering, maar oude gewoonten in AfghanistanTolo TV: Afghan people want removal of present cabinet members but Karzai appointed Zalmai Rasul instead.

Jawad has participated in hundreds of conferences and forums related to Afghanistan and the region.

Jawad is an avid polo player and a member of the Capitol Polo Club in Maryland.

He played in the Green Cup and is a member of the United States Polo Association.

Jawad has participated in many significant conferences and forums related to Afghanistan and the region in the past decade.

In February 2011, he became Diplomat-in-Residence at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

He also currently serves as the Chairman of the Foundation for Afghanistan.

He is also a Global Political Strategist at APCO Worldwide.

and a member of Advisory Board of the Concordia Summit.

Said Tayeb Jawad was born in the city of Kandahar in Afghanistan.

He received higher education at Lycée Esteqlal and at the School of Law and Political Sciences in Kabul University.

From 2017 to 2020, Jawad served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.