Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Speaks at St Andrews Event

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Dr. Husam S. Zomlot, visited St Andrews on Monday 12 October. He spoke as part of the Carnegie Conversations series, hosted by The Carnegie Club. The event took place at Younger Hall and featured an interview followed by an open Q&A session with students and community members. 

Dr. Zomlot has led the Palestinian diplomatic mission in London since October 2018 and has served as the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom since January 2026. He previously served as an advisor to the United Nations, Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Palestinian President, and Director of the Fatah Foreign Relations Commission.

The invitation to Zomlot has been in development for over a year. According to the Carnegie Club, a student member with connections in Jordan and the wider Middle East initially approached the club about hosting the ambassador last year. 

The club said the event is intended to provide space for discussion rather than promote a particular political position.

“We hope more than anything else to convey that message of a hope for international dialogue and diplomacy as a measure for resolving international disputes,” a Carnegie Club representative said.

Students were able to submit questions through a QR code during the event, with a panel of representatives from the Carnegie Club, the Middle Eastern and North African Society, and the Roosevelt Group all selecting questions for the ambassador.

Organisers said they hoped the format would allow students with different political perspectives to engage with Zomlot and critically consider his responses.

The event was part of the Carnegie Club’s broader aim of bringing prominent speakers, who otherwise would require travel to larger cities, to St Andrews.

“We live in a very remote place where it’s harder to go attend a speech by a very important person,” one organiser said. “So we really like the idea that we can help philanthropically give back to our community.”

The event was co-organised by the Carnegie Club, the Middle Eastern and North African Society, and the Roosevelt Group. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Hanoon Foundation, a UK-based charity supporting healthcare and medical education in Palestine.

Image Courtesy of the Carnegie Club