The UK government announced today that Dr Martin Longden CMG OBE has been appointed Ambassador to Libya in succession to Caroline Hurndall MBE. Longden will take up his appointment in October. Hurndall will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Martin Andrew Longden was born in the northwestern town of Stockport, near Manchester, in England. He is married to Naomi Adams and has three children.
He has been in full time Arabic language training since 2022. From 2021 to 2022 he was the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Head of Rapid Deployment Team to Kabul (August 2021), and later Chargé d’Affaires to the United Kingdom Mission to Afghanistan based in Doha. In 2021 was Chargé d’Affaires in Beirut.
From 2016 to 2020 Longden was the Head of the FCO’s Near East Department, Middle East and North Africa Directorate, and later UK Special Representative for Syria. Between 2015 and 2016 he was Deputy Ambassador in Kabul.
From 2011 to 2014 he was the FCO’s Falklands and Southern Oceans Department, Overseas Territories Directorate. Between 2009 and 2011 he was Head of Communications for the US Network in Washington DC. Langdon was the FCO’s Deputy Press Secretary at its Press Office from 2007 to 2009. From 2005 to 2007 he was the FCO’s Strategy Policy Adviser for the Middle East, Policy Planners.
