Saad Hariri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saad Hariri
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| سعد الحريري | |
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Hariri in 2018
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| 47th and 50th Prime Minister of Lebanon | |
| In office 18 December 2016 – 21 January 2020 |
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| President | Michel Aoun |
| Preceded by | Tammam Salam |
| Succeeded by | Hassan Diab |
| In office 9 November 2009 – 13 June 2011 |
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| President | Michel Suleiman |
| Preceded by | Fouad Siniora |
| Succeeded by | Najib Mikati |
| Member of the Lebanese Parliament | |
| In office 28 June 2005 – 21 May 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Rafic Hariri |
| Constituency | Beirut |
| Leader of the Future Movement | |
| Assumed office 20 April 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Rafic Hariri |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri
18 April 1970 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Citizenship | Lebanese Saudi French |
| Political party | Future Movement |
| Other political affiliations |
March 14 Alliance |
| Spouse |
Lara Al Azem
(m. 1998) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Hariri family |
| Residences | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri (Arabic: سعد الدين رفيق الحريري, romanized: Saʿd ad-Dīn Rafīq al-Ḥarīrī ; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese businessman and former politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon two times. His first term was from 2009 to 2011, and his second was from 2016 to 2020.
Saad Hariri is the son of Rafic Hariri, who was also a Prime Minister. Saad took over leadership of the Future Movement political party in 2007. He was a very important leader in the March 14 Alliance, a group of political parties. In 2022, he announced he was leaving politics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Saad Hariri was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 18 April 1970. His father was Rafic Hariri, and his mother was Nidal Bustani, who was from Iraq. His parents met when they were studying.
Saad Hariri speaks several languages, including Arabic, English, French, and Italian. He went to Georgetown University in the United States. In 1992, he earned a degree in business administration from the McDonough School of Business.
Business Career
Before he became a politician, Saad Hariri was involved in many businesses. From 1994 to 2005, he was the chairman of the executive committee for Oger Telecom. This company worked on telecommunication projects in the Middle East and Africa.
He also served on the board of other companies. These included Omnia Holdings, Oger International, Saudi Oger, and the Saudi Investment Bank. He was also a board member for the Saudi Research and Marketing Group and the Lebanese TV channel Future TV.
Political Journey
After his father's death, the Hariri family announced on 20 April 2005 that Saad Hariri would lead the Future Movement. This political group is mainly supported by Sunni Muslims in Lebanon.
He also became the leader of the March 14 Alliance. This group formed after the Cedar Revolution. Their efforts, with public support, led to Syrian troops leaving Lebanon in 2005. Syria had been in Lebanon for 29 years.
First Time as Prime Minister
Saad Hariri first became Prime Minister of Lebanon on 9 November 2009. His term lasted until 13 June 2011.
His government faced challenges and eventually collapsed on 12 January 2011. This happened when several opposition parties left his government. The main reason was disagreements over an investigation into the death of his father, Rafic Hariri.
After his government fell, Hariri continued as a caretaker Prime Minister for four months. A new government was formed on 13 June 2011, led by Najib Mikati.
Second Time as Prime Minister
After a long period without a president, Michel Aoun was elected in Lebanon. Soon after, on 18 December 2016, Aoun appointed Saad Hariri as Prime Minister for a second time.
Resignation and Return
On 4 November 2017, Saad Hariri announced his resignation while he was in Saudi Arabia. He said he was worried about political tensions in the Middle East. Many people in Lebanon and around the world were surprised by this announcement.
Later that month, Hariri traveled to France to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. Hariri then returned to Beirut. On 21 November, he announced that he had put his resignation on hold. He officially withdrew his resignation on 5 December. He stated that all government members agreed to stay out of conflicts in other Arab countries.
Protests and Final Resignation
In October 2019, large protests began across Lebanon. People were unhappy with the government and demanded more accountability. They felt the government was not doing enough to solve the country's economic problems.
On 20 October, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered. This was one of the biggest demonstrations since 2005. Hariri's government was seen by many Lebanese as corrupt.
On 29 October, Hariri offered his resignation as Prime Minister. He said he was doing this to respond to the will of the Lebanese people who wanted change. President Michel Aoun accepted his resignation but asked him to stay until a new leader was chosen. Hassan Diab became the new Prime Minister on 21 January 2020.
Attempts to Form a Government (2020-2021)
After Hassan Diab resigned in August 2020, Saad Hariri was again asked to form a new government on 22 October 2020. He had support from several political parties.
However, after many meetings with President Aoun, Hariri was unable to form a government. They disagreed on how the government should be put together. Hariri also spent time outside Lebanon, which led to some criticism. On 15 July 2021, he decided to step down from trying to form a government.
Stepping Down from Politics
On 24 January 2022, Saad Hariri announced that he was leaving politics. He also said he would not run in the 2022 general elections. He asked his political party, the Future Movement, not to run or nominate anyone either.
Personal Life
Saad Hariri was born in 1970. He is the second son of Rafic Hariri and his first wife, Nidal Bustani. He has an older brother, Bahaa Hariri, and a younger brother, Houssam, who passed away young. His father later married Nazik Hariri, and Saad has three half-siblings from that marriage: Ayman Hariri, Fahd Hariri, and Hind Hariri.
Saad Hariri holds citizenship in three countries: Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and France. In 1998, he married Lara Al Azem. She is the daughter of a wealthy Syrian businessman. They have three children: Houssam (born 1999), Loulwa (born 2001), and Abdulaziz (born 2005).
In 2007, the French president Jacques Chirac gave Saad Hariri the Legion of Honour. This is a very important French award. For safety reasons, Hariri lived in Paris from 2011 to 2014. He returned to Lebanon on 8 August 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Saad Hariri para niños
- Lebanese people in Saudi Arabia
- Lebanese people in France
- List of political families in Lebanon
