Mohammad Safadi (Arabic: محمد الصفدي; born 28 March 1944) is a Lebanese businessman who served as minister of finance under Najib Mikati between 2011 and 2014. He was also the minister of economy and trade from 2008 to 2011.
Mohammad Safadi | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 13 June 2011 – February 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Najib Mikati |
| Preceded by | Raya Haffar El Hassan |
| Succeeded by | Ali Hassan Khalil |
| Minister of Economy and Trade | |
| In office 22 July 2008 – 13 June 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Sami Haddad |
| Succeeded by | Nicolas Nahas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mohammad Ahmed Safadi 28 March 1944 Tripoli, Lebanon |
| Political party | Tripoli Bloc |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | American University of Beirut |
| Awards | German Order of Merit |
Early life and education
editSafadi was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, on 28 March 1944 to Sunni family.[1][2] He is the son of Ahmed Safadi.[3] His family are businesspeople, running their own firm in Tripoli.[4]
Safadi is a graduate of the American University of Beirut where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration in February 1968.[2][5]
Business career
editSafadi began his career in the private sector in Lebanon in 1969.[6] In 1975 when the civil war broke out in Lebanon, he began to invest in Saudi Arabia.[4][7] Therefore, he has many business investments in Saudi Arabia[8] most of which included the construction of residential compounds.[9]
Safadi expanded his business across the Arab world and into Europe in Saudi Arabia.[1] He also worked as business manager in London for Prince Turki bin Nasser, a member of House of Saud.[4] Safadi established Safadi Group Holding in Lebanon in the 1990s.[10][11]
Political career
editSafadi was first elected to the Lebanese Parliament in 2000 as part of the Tripoli bloc.[10][12] He served as the minister of public works and transport from 19 July 2005 to July 2008.[1][12] Safadi also served as acting energy and water minister in 2007 and in 2008.[13][14] Next, he was appointed minister of economy and trade on 11 July 2008 to the cabinet headed by Fouad Siniora.[1][6] He was reelected member of parliament in the 2009 elections on the list of the March 14 alliance.[15][16] Safadi was appointed minister of economy and trade to the cabinet of Saad Hariri on 9 November 2009,[17] and his tenure lasted until June 2011.[12]
Safadi did not support for Saad Hariri in the 2011 cabinet formation talks with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.[8] Instead, he voted for Najib Mikati during cabinet formation consultations in January 2011.[18] Therefore, he broke with his March 14 allies and sided with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition along with Mikati.[19] Safadi became an ally of Mikati after this event.[20]
Safadi served as the minister of finance from 13 June 2011 to February 2014 in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati.[7][21][22] Within the cabinet, Safadi was part of the group appointed by the Prime Minister[10] and an independent or non-affiliated minister in the Mikati's cabinet.[23] In October 2012, As Safir reported that Safadi would not participate in the 2013 parliamentary elections in Tripoli possibly due to health concerns.[24]
Safadi chairs the steering committee of the Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Committee (METAC) of the International Monetary Fund.[25] He was also the head of the Lebanese-German Parliamentary Friendship Committee and a member of the Economy Commission at the Parliament.[26]
Safadi's term as finance minister ended in February 2014 when Ali Hassan Khalil was appointed to the post.[27]
In November 2019, amidst the 2019–20 Lebanese protests, Safadi was tapped as the next prime minister of Lebanon, to succeed Saad Hariri.[28] Safadi withdrew his candidacy on 16 November, stating that it would have been difficult to form a harmonious cabinet.[29]
Controversy
editThe Guardian reported that Safadi was involved in Al Yamama arms deal through an anonymous offshore company, Poseidon.[30] The company was allegedly used to transfer money to Safadi, who was working for Prince Turki bin Nasser, Saudi royal and an air force officer at that time.[30][31]
Personal life
editOn 5 October 2015, Safadi married Violette Khaïrallah. He has two children from a previous marriage. His son, Ramzi, died in a car crash in England on 10 March 2008.[1]
Safadi established a foundation entitled the Safadi Foundation in 2000.[9] It provides health, educational, and social services.[9]
Awards
editSafadi is the recipient of the Order of Merit from Germany.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "MP Mohammad Safadi". NOW Lebanon. 2 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Mohammad A. Safadi". Safadi Foundation. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ a b Who's Who in Lebanon (19th ed.). Beirut: Publitec Publications. 2007. p. 299. doi:10.1515/9783110945904.476. ISBN 978-3-598-07734-0.
- ^ a b c David Leigh; Rob Evans (7 June 2007). "Biography. M. Safadi". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
- ^ "Former Ministers". Ministry of Economy and Trade. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Meet the government". Now Lebanon. 11 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ a b "Mohammad Safadi". Beirut. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ a b Sami Moubayed (29 January 2011). "Hariri backed wrong horse". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c Hannes Baumann (2012). "The "new contractor bourgeoisie" in Lebanese politics: Hariri, Miqati and Faris". In Are Knudsen; Michael Kerr (eds.). Lebanon: After the Cedar Revolution. London: Hurst. p. 140. ISBN 9781849042499.
- ^ a b c "Lebanon announces cabinet line-up". NOW Lebanon. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ "Profiles: Lebanon's new government". Lebanonwire. 12 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ a b c "Mohammad A. Safadi". Ministry of Finance. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ Osama Habib (20 October 2007). "Lebanon to allow price of oil to float if market rises further". The Daily Star. Beirut. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ "Speakers from the Government of Lebanon". The Economist. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- ^ "Lebanon: Wikileaks cables expose Hezbollah, Syria allies". Ya Libnan. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ "New parliament composition" (PDF). Lebanese Information Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ Nadim Ladki (9 November 2009). "Lebanon's Hariri forms unity government with Hezbollah". Reuters. Beirut. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ Sami Moubayed (15 February 2011). "Why Hariri no longer matters". Asia Times Online. Damascus. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ Antoine Amrieh (29 January 2011). "PM-designate camp to counter pro-Hariri rally with 'day of joy'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ Paul Salem (15 June 2011). "Lebanon's New Government: Outlines and Challenges". Carnegie Middle East. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ Thomas El Basha (13 June 2011). "Mikati forms 30-member Lebanon Cabinet". The Daily Star. Beirut. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ "The Cabinet". Embassy of Lebanon Washington DC. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ "The New Lebanese Government" (PDF). Lebanese Information Center. July 2011. Archived from the original (Assessment Report) on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Safadi not to run in 2013 parliamentary elections, report says". NOW Lebanon. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ "Steering Committee". Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ "Equitable Growth". The Business Year. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Lebanon announces new government after ten month political deadlock". Euronews. 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ "Lebanon's Safadi agrees to be next PM amid economic crisis: Bassil". Reuters. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "Lebanon's Safadi withdraws candidacy to be next prime minister". France 24. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ a b "BAE files". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ David Leigh; Rob Evans; Ewen MacAskill (2 December 2006). "Lebanese billionaire is drawn into BAE arms deal inquiry as 'second middleman for Saudis'". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2023.