Saad Hariri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saad Hariri
|
|
|---|---|
| سعد الحريري | |
.jpg)
Hariri in 2018
|
|
| 47th and 50th Prime Minister of Lebanon | |
| In office 18 December 2016 – 21 January 2020 |
|
| President | Michel Aoun |
| Preceded by | Tammam Salam |
| Succeeded by | Hassan Diab |
| In office 9 November 2009 – 13 June 2011 |
|
| President | Michel Suleiman |
| Preceded by | Fouad Siniora |
| Succeeded by | Najib Mikati |
| Member of the Parliament of Lebanon | |
| In office 28 June 2005 – 21 May 2022 |
|
| Preceded by | Rafic Hariri |
| Constituency | Beirut |
| Leader of the Future Movement | |
| Assumed office 20 April 2005 |
|
| 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 |
|
| Relatives | Hariri family |
| Residences | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri (born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese businessman and 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 former prime minister. Saad Hariri founded and led the Future Movement political party. He was also a key leader in the March 14 Alliance, a group of political parties.
After living outside Lebanon for three years, he returned in 2014. He announced his retirement from politics in January 2022 and did not run in the parliamentary elections that year. However, in February 2025, he announced that his political party, the Future Movement, would return to Lebanese politics. He said the party would take part in future elections.
Contents
About Saad Hariri
Saad Hariri was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 18 April 1970. His father was Rafic Hariri, and his mother was Nidal Bustani. His mother was from Iraq.
Besides his native Arabic, Hariri also speaks English, French, and Italian. He studied business administration at Georgetown University and graduated in 1992.
Business Career
Before he became a politician, Saad Hariri worked in business. From 1994 to 2005, he was the chairman of Oger Telecom. This company worked on telecommunication projects in the Middle East and Africa.
He also held leadership roles in other companies. These included Omnia Holdings, Saudi Oger, and the Saudi Investment Bank. He was also on the board of Future TV, a Lebanese television channel.
Political Journey
On 20 April 2005, Saad Hariri took over leadership of the Future Movement. This political group was started by his father. He also led the March 14 Alliance. This group formed after the Cedar Revolution. The Cedar Revolution was a series of large protests that led to Syrian troops leaving Lebanon in 2005.
First Time as Prime Minister
Saad Hariri first became Prime Minister of Lebanon on 9 November 2009. His term lasted until 13 June 2011.
In January 2011, his government faced challenges. Some political parties left his government, causing it to collapse. This happened because of disagreements about an investigation into the death of his father, Rafic Hariri.
Hariri continued as a caretaker prime minister for four months. He promised to find a solution to the political crisis. 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 2016. Soon after, Aoun appointed Hariri as prime minister for a second time. He took office on 18 December 2016.
Resignation and Return
On 4 November 2017, Hariri announced his resignation while in Saudi Arabia. He mentioned concerns about political interference in the Middle East and fears for his safety. Many people in Lebanon wondered if he was being held against his will.
.jpg)
Lebanon's President Michel Aoun asked for Hariri to return. Hariri then traveled to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron. On 21 November, Hariri returned to Beirut and said 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.
2019 Protests and Resignation
In October 2019, large protests began in Lebanon. People were unhappy with the government and wanted more transparency. They believed the government was not doing enough to solve the country's economic problems.
On 20 October, hundreds of thousands of people protested across the country. Prime Minister Hariri announced some economic reforms. These included cutting salaries for politicians and reducing the national debt. However, these ideas did not stop the protests.
On 29 October, Hariri offered his resignation. He said it was to meet the demands of the protesters. President Michel Aoun accepted his resignation but asked him to stay until a new prime minister was chosen. Hassan Diab became the new prime minister on 21 January 2020.
Efforts 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 received 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 ministries should be divided. Hariri was criticized for spending a lot of time outside Lebanon during this period. On 15 July 2021, he decided to step down from trying to form a government.
Stepping Down from Politics (2022)
On 24 January 2022, Saad Hariri announced that he was leaving Lebanese politics. He also said that his Future Movement party would not participate in the 2022 general elections.
Return to Politics (2025)
In February 2025, Saad Hariri returned to Beirut. He announced that the Future Movement party would come back to Lebanese politics. He said they would run in upcoming elections. In April 2025, he stated that the party would not take part in municipal elections, as he believed these should be non-political.
Personal Life
Saad Hariri was born in 1970. He is the second son of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. He has an older brother, Bahaa Hariri, and other half-siblings from his father's second marriage.
Hariri holds citizenship in three countries: Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and France. In 1998, he married Lara Al Azem. 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, a special award from France. For safety reasons, Hariri lived in Paris from 2011 to 2014. He returned to Lebanon in 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
