Saad Hariri

Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri (سعد الدين رفيق الحريري; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese-Saudi politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon from 2009 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020.

Saad Hariri was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 18 April 1970, and is the son of Rafic Hariri and his first wife Nidal Bustani, an Iraqi woman of Kurdish origin from the city of Baghdad.

His parents met while studying.

In addition to his native Arabic, Hariri speaks English, French and Italian.

He graduated in 1992 from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University with a degree in business administration.

Prior to entering politics, Hariri was the chairman of the executive committee of Oger Telecom, which pursued telecommunication interests in the Middle East and Africa, from 1994 to 2005.

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 Lebanese television channel Future TV.

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.

He was 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.

According to WikiLeaks documents, Hariri met with Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman on August 20 during the 2006 Lebanon War, during which he criticized Army Commander Michel Suleiman for his subservient behavior towards Hezbollah following a statement he issued in support of them, and called Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri asking him to transfer the Shiite officers from the shipping station at Beirut International Airport, claiming that the United Nations wanted this, and also informed Berri that he was ready to “strike and overthrow Hezbollah” if he gets the opportunity.

Preliminary indictments were issued 17 January as expected, ) though they were pending STL approval. The government lasted barely 14-months and was considered by the opposition as dysfunctional; its collapse precipitated a climate of political deadlock and tension similar to that which existed between 2006 and 2008.

Hariri continued on for four months as caretaker prime minister.

He vowed to find a way out of the crisis saying his allies and he would take part in "consultations" to a name a new leader.

Nabih Berri, the Lebanese parliamentary speaker and a member of the March 8 alliance, said Suleiman would formally launch talks to create a new government on 16 January.

However, March 8 said it would no longer be involved in an Hariri government.

Mohammad Raad, an Hezbollah MP, said his party would nominate a candidate for prime minister who has "a history of resistance."

Though, March 14 said it would not accept anyone other than Hariri.

One of his bloc's MP's, Boutros Harb, said "I do not see a government in the country without Saad Hariri."

The son of Rafic Hariri, he founded and has been leading the Future Movement party since 2007.

He is seen as "the strongest figurehead" of the March 14 Alliance.

Hariri served as Prime Minister of Lebanon from 9 November 2009 to 13 June 2011.

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

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, causing its collapse.

The withdrawal of Hezbollah and its allies was due to political tensions arising from investigations into the assassination of Rafic Hariri.

Hezbollah operatives had been accused of assassinating Rafic Hariri.

The resignations stemmed from PM Hariri's refusal to call an emergency cabinet session over discussion for withdrawing cooperation with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was expected to indict Hezbollah members in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.

Following the fall of the government reports of an "imminent release" of the indictments circulated, though constitutionally there would be no government to receive the indictment as this was first time in Lebanese history a government had fallen after the resignations of a third of the government.

The new Lebanese government was formed on 13 June 2011 and headed by Najib Mikati.

Mikati created an 8 March-led government coalition.

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.

Hariri released a statement in response, describing Bashar al-Assad as a "monster".

Following more than two years of deadlock in electing a president, Michel Aoun was elected.

After three years living overseas, he returned to Lebanon on 8 August 2014 and served a second term as prime minister from 18 December 2016 to 21 January 2020.

Shortly after, Aoun signed a decree appointing Hariri as prime minister for the second time and he took office on 18 December 2016.

Hariri's surprise announcement of an intent to resign, broadcast on 4 November 2017 on Saudi state TV, has widely been seen as part of the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict in Lebanon, and triggered a dispute between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

The resignation was later suspended, following President Michel Aoun's request to "put it on hold ahead of further consultations".

On 4 November 2017, in a televised statement from Saudi Arabia, Hariri tendered his resignation from office, citing Iran's and Hezbollah's political over-extension in the Middle East region and fears of assassination.

On 29 October 2019, amid the 2019–20 Lebanese protests, he announced his resignation, and that of his cabinet.

He was designated as prime minister on 22 October 2020, but failed to form a government and resigned on 15 July 2021.

On 24 January 2022 he announced that he will suspend his involvement in political activities and did not run in the parliamentary elections on 15 May 2022.