Roberto Gulbenkian (1923-2009) was born in Algiers and died in Lisbon. He was Gulbenkian’s nephew.

In 1946, at the age of 22, he started working for his uncle Calouste Gulbenkian and for his cousin Kevork Essayan, in the fields of oil and finance. In 1956, he started working in the Foundation and in 1964 he was elected Trustee of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and was responsible for the Armenian Communities Department, the Department for the Middle East and for the management of the Foundation’s oil interests. His contribution to the development of the Armenian communities in the Middle East was very significant.

In 1944, he took part on the landing offensive with the Allied Forces in France where he was badly injured. He received several medals including the War Cross and was awarded notable commendations including the Order of St. Gregory the Illuminator (Armenia), the commendation of the Saint Sepulchre (Jordan), Order of St. Nerses and Order of Mekhitarists in Vienna (Austria).

Roberto Gulbenkian was also a renowned historian. He published 21 works compiled in 3 volumes under the general title “Historical Studies” (1995) published by the Portuguese Academy of History. His assiduous work was a milestone during the first forty years of the Foundation.