Hariri, Rafik

(redirected from Hariri, Saad)

Hariri, Rafik

Hariri, Rafik or Rafiq (räfēkˈ härēˈrē), 1944–2005, Lebanese tycoon and political leader, b. Sidon. The son of a poor Sunni Muslim farmer, he moved to Saudi Arabia in 1965. After teaching mathematics there, he formed (1969) his own construction company and amassed a fortune building for public and private clients. Hariri returned (1990) to Lebanon and served (1992–98) as prime minister. He was largely responsible for reconstructing war-ravaged Beirut, which left the nation with significant public debt. Becoming prime minister again in 2000, he promoted economic reform and reduced government bureaucracy, but left office (2004) after opposing Syria's domination of the government. Hariri died in a car bombing in Beirut. Both Syrian and Lebanese officials were initially implicated in his assassination, but prosecutors for a joint UN-Lebanese tribunal on the crime ultimately indicted (2011–13) several members of Hezbollah. The tribunal found (2020) one member of Hezbollah guilty of involvement in the car bombing; it found no direct evidence of the involvement of Hezbollah's leadership or Syria.

His second son, Saad Hariri, 1971–, is also a Lebanese businessman and politician; he was born in Saudi Arabia and raised there. He handled the family's business in Saudi Arabia prior to his father's assassination, after which he took over the Hariri business empire and entered Lebanese politics as the leader of his father's Future Movement party. Following the 2009 elections, Saad Hariri became prime minister, ultimately as the head of a national unity government. In 2011 his government fell after Hezbollah and its allies withdrew over the government's cooperation with the special tribunal investigating Rafik Hariri's murder. In 2016 he became prime minister of a unity government for a second time as part of a deal that ended a 29-month political stalemate. In Nov., 2017, he resigned as prime minister under Saudi pressure while he was detained in Saudi Arabia, but after he returned to Lebanon he rescinded his resignation. After the 2018 elections, he became (Jan., 2019) prime minister of a unity government for a third time, but he resigned in October amid widespread protests against the government, corruption, and the poor economy. He remained as caretaker prime minister until Jan., 2020, and then in October was asked to form a government.

References in periodicals archive ?

During his address, Fatfat hit back at remarks Sayyed had made at Tuesday's Parliament session, when the pro-Syrian MP called on Hariri to "apologize" for his four-year imprisonment over alleged involvement in the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri's father.

Cabinet wins confidence in 111-6 vote

Ten ministers representing Hezbollah and its allies in the unity government led by the son of slain Hariri, Saad, announced their collective resignation Wednesday.

Arab League 'disturbed' by Lebanon govt collapse

position was spelled out by the Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly following a meeting with Nader Hariri, Saad Hariri's chief of staff.

Hariri spars with Jumblatt over Cabinet

When Kheir held up a diagram which he said proved that economic growth had been much higher under the Cabinets of Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri and Fouad Siniora than under former Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss and Mikati, Dib said: "You're holding it [the diagram] upside down."

Moments of levity amid bouts of rage

Addressing a rally marking the sixth anniversary of the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri lashed out at Hezbollah for using its weapons to influence internal political disputes and rejected the group's accusation that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was an American or Israeli tool.

A new opposition is born

As the son of slain former Premier Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri has campaigned diligently and passionately in support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in its search for his father's killers.