Saad Hariri

Saad Al Hariri
سعد الحريري

Hariri in 2017
Prime Minister of Lebanon
Assumed office
18 December 2016
President Michel Aoun
Preceded by Tammam Salam
In office
9 November 2009 – 13 June 2011
President Michel Suleiman
Deputy Elias Murr
Preceded by Fouad Siniora
Succeeded by Najib Mikati
Leader of Future Movement
Assumed office
20 April 2005
Preceded by Rafic Hariri
Personal details
Born (1970-04-18) 18 April 1970
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Political party Future Movement
Other political
affiliations		 March 14 Alliance
Spouse(s) Lara Bashir Al Azem (1998–present)
Alma mater Georgetown University
Website Official website
Official Facebook
Official Twitter

Saad Al-Hariri (Arabic: سعد الدين رفيق الحريري‎‎; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese politician and the current Prime Minister of Lebanon since December 2016. He was also the Prime Minister from November 2009 to June 2011. He is the second son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005. Hariri has also been the leader of the Future Movement party since 2005. He is seen as "the strongest figurehead" of the March 14 movement.[1] After three years living overseas, he returned to Lebanon on 8 August 2014[2][3][4] and he was designated Prime Minister on 3 November 2016.

Early years

Saad Hariri was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia[5][6] on 18 April 1970, and is the son of Rafic Hariri and his first wife Nida Bustani, an Iraqi.[7] In addition to his native Arabic, Hariri speaks English and French. He graduated in 1992 from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University with a major in Business Administration.[8] He then returned to Saudi Arabia where he managed part of his father's business in Riyadh until his father's assassination in 2005.

Business activities

Hariri in 2009

Prior to entering politics, Hariri served as the chairman of the executive committee of Oger Telecom, which pursues telecommunication interests in the Middle East and Africa. In addition, Hariri was the chairman of Omnia Holdings and a board member of Oger International Entreprise de Travaux Internationaux, Saudi Oger, Saudi Investment Bank, Saudi Research and Marketing Group and Future Television.[9]

Political career

On 20 April 2005, the Hariri family announced that Saad Hariri would lead the Future Movement, an essentially Sunni movement that was created and led by his late father.[7][10] He is also the leader of the March 14 Alliance, a coalition of political groups born out of the Cedar Revolution which, through mass popular demonstrations and Western support, led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005 after a 29-year presence.

Premiership

Hariri was prime minister from 9 November 2009 until 13 June 2011.

Government collapse

On 12 January 2011, minutes after Hariri posed for pictures with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, the opposition parties resigned from his unity government cabinet, in protest at the inability of the government to take detrimental decisions, causing its collapse. The withdrawal of Hezbollah and its allies was due to political tensions arising from investigations into the assassination of Rafic Hariri.[11] Hezbollah operatives had been accused of the assassination of Rafic Hariri.[11]

Hariri continued on for four months as caretaker Prime Minister. The new Lebanese government was formed on 13 June 2011 and headed by Najib Mikati. Mikati created a March 8-led government coalition.[11]

Syrian arrest warrant

On 12 December 2012, Syria issued a warrant for the arrest of Hariri, Future bloc deputy Okab Sakr and Free Syrian Army official Louay Almokdad on charges of arming and providing financial support for Syrian opposition groups.[12] Hariri released a statement in response, describing Bashar Assad as a "monster".[12]

Second tenure

Following more than two years of deadlock in electing a president, March 8's Michel Aoun was elected. Shortly after, Aoun signed a decree appointing Hariri as prime minister for the second time[13] and he took office on 18 December.[13]

Honours

In 2007, French President Jacques Chirac awarded Saad Hariri the Legion d'Honneur.[9]

Personal life

Hariri holds dual citizenship, Lebanese and Saudi Arabian.[14] He married Lara Bashir Al Azem in 1998 and has three children: Houssam (born 1999), Loulwa (born 2001), and Abdulaziz (born 2005). His wife is from a prestigious Syrian family.[7] He lived in Paris, France, from 2011 for safety reasons, but returned to Lebanon on 8 August 2014.[1][15]

In 2011, he was said to be the 595th richest person in the world with a net worth of $2 billion.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Lebanon and Syria: Peering into the abyss". The Economist. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  2. ↑ "Hariri Back in Lebanon for First Time in 3 Years His nephew's name is Sultan Al Shaikh". Lebanon News.Net. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "News article". Al Hadath. Al Arabiya. 8 August 2014.
  4. ↑ News presenter (8 August 2014). Prime Time News - 08/08/2014 (Video). MTVLebanonNews via YouTube. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "His Excellency Deputy Saadeddine Rafiq Hariri". Arab Decision.
  6. ↑ "The world's billionaires 2008: #334 Saad Hariri". Forbes. 3 May 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 Vloeberghs, Ward (July 2012). "The Hariri Political Dynasty after the Arab Spring". Mediterranean Politics. Taylor and Francis. 18 (2): 241–248. doi:10.1080/13629395.2012.694046. Pdf.
  8. ↑ "Hind Hariri is world's youngest billionaire". The Daily Star. 11 March 2006.
  9. 1 2 Salihovic, Elnur (5 October 2015). Major Players in the Muslim Business World. Univedrsal Publishers. p. 128. ISBN 9781627340526.
  10. ↑ Mallat, Chibli. Lebanon's Cedar Revolution An essay on non-violence and justice (PDF). Mallat. p. 122.
  11. 1 2 3 Simon, Kevin (2012). "Hezbollah: Terror in Context". Olin College of Engineering. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  12. 1 2 Dakroub, Hussein (13 December 2012). "Hariri calls Assad ‘monster,’ rejects warrants". The Daily Star. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  13. 1 2 "New Cabinet in Lebanon vows to 'preserve stability'". Gulf News. Beirut. AFB. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  14. ↑ Rola el Husseini (15 October 2012). Pax Syriana: Elite Politics in Postwar Lebanon. Syracuse University Press. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-8156-3304-4. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Hassan Nasrallah answers Saad Hariri's speech: "Saad Hariri insulted his own father"". Iloubnan. 17 February 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  16. ↑ Saad Hariri profile - Forbes Retrieved April 2011.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Rafic Hariri		 Leader of the Future Movement
2005–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Fouad Siniora		 Prime Minister of Lebanon
2009–2011 		Succeeded by
Najib Mikati
Preceded by
Tammam Salam		 Prime Minister of Lebanon
2016–present 		Incumbent
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