Afif Abdul Wahab

Afif Abdul Wahab (1915–2003) was a Lebanese doctor, general surgeon and urologist, businessman and philanthropist, born and raised in El Mina. After receiving his Medical Doctorate from the American University of Beirut in 1941,[1] he opened up a hospital in his hometown of El-Mina in 1946 in partnership with Dr. Joseph Yamine and Dr. Richard Jebara, for a short period before moving to Saudi Arabia in 1949. Again with Drs Yamine and Jebara, Abdul Wahab opened up the first Arab-owned hospital in Jeddah, The Lebanese Hospital in Jeddah, and was one of the first medical doctors to live and work in Saudi Arabia. In !953 Abdul Wahab received the Saudi Citizenship from King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, In 1962 all three partners opened another hospital in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia,Ash-Sharq Hospital which was a medical contractor for ARAMCO.

In 1971,Abdul Wahab entered into the industrial world,as a silent partner with his son Ramzi, by opening up the first car exhaust pipe factory in Saudi Arabia, and moved from a one time doctor to entrepreneurship. He retired and moved to London in 1981, before moving back to Lebanon at the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1992. He participated in the country's resurrection by getting involved in charity work as a philanthropist, establishing several scholarships and funds at local universities and foundations.

Abdul Wahab, along with Dr. Yamine received the National Cedars Medal from Lebanese president Suleiman Frangieh, which is the highest honor given to a Lebanese citizen. He died in January 2003, aged 87.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Afif Abdul Wahab Endowment Fund, American University of Beirut, retrieved 2010-11-25
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