Hyderabad: Hamna Mariyam, a young woman diplomat of 2017 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) batch, joined the Indian Consulate General, Jeddah on Dec. 10, 2019 as the new consul of community welfare.
Family background
Daughter of a well-known doctor couple from Calicut in Malabar region of Kerala, Hamna chose a career other than medicine, and studied English language and literature from Ramjas College and obtained her master’s degree in the same discipline from Delhi University. While serving as asst. professor at Farook College, Calicut, she bagged the 28th rank in the Civil Services examination.
Hamna’s father is a renowned pediatrician Dr. T.P. Ashraf, former superintend of Calicut Medical College and former executive director of Kerala government’s Social Security Mission while her mother Dr. P.V. Jowhara is a physiologist at Calicut Medical College.
Mariyam married Abdul Muzammil Khan, an IAS officer of Telangana cadre of the same batch. Muzammil Khan is the youngest son of A.K. Khan, retired IPS officer and former Police Comissioner of Hyderabad.
First woman officer at CG Jeddah
Hamna assumed position in Consulate General, Jeddah after her tenure at the Indian Embassy in Paris where she had completed her French language training before leaving Europe in October this year.
Indian Consul General Mohammed Noor Rahman Sheikh had said Saudi Gazette that that he was very happy to have the first woman IFS officer joining the consulate team at a time when the centuries-old historic economic and socio-cultural ties between India and Saudi Arabia have touched new heights of strategic partnership.
Saudi Arabia is India’s 4th largest trade partner with a major source of energy.
Expressing her happiness to get an opportunity to serve the one-million strong Indian community in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, Hamna said: “I see the community welfare as a major area where I can do a lot in serving the vibrant community in this part of the world.”
Hyderabadis and Malayalis constitute a lion’s share of Indian community in Saudi Arabia.
“Hamna is a very good combination of Malayali who married to someone from Hyderabad, as the Keralite and Telangana communities are the major communities in this part of the world. Hamna’s appointment would help in the consulate’s outreach programs and interaction with these communities at a time when the consulate is very actively reaching out to all segments of the Indian community,” Sheikh added.