Notable Alumni of American University of Beirut [Sorted List]

1. Fawzi al-Mulki

1910-1962 (aged 52)

diplomat politician

Fawzi Al-Mulki was a Jordanian diplomat and politician. While serving as ambassador to the United Kingdom in the early 1950s, he befriended King Hussein, who was studying there.

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2. Salma Jayyusi

1926-2023 (aged 97)

literary critic historian anthologist translator poet

Salma Khadra Jayyusi was a Palestinian poet, writer, translator and anthologist. She was the founder and director of the Project of Translation from Arabic (PROTA), which aims to provide translation of Arabic literature into English.

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3. Ahmad Toukan

1903-1981 (aged 78)

politician

Ahmad Toukan was a Jordanian political leader of Palestinian descent. He was briefly the 20th Prime Minister of Jordan from 26 September 1970 to 28 October 1970, during a crackdown that drove the PLO guerillas out of Jordan.

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4. Mostafa Mesbahzadeh

1908-2006 (aged 98)

economist jurist journalist politician

Mostafa Khan Mesbahzadeh was an Iranian Publisher, President of Kayhan Media Corporation, Founder of the Iranian College of Press and Communication ("Daneshkadeh-ye Matbou'at va Oloum-e Ejtema'i", Persian: دانشکده مطبوعات و علوم اجتماعی), University Professor, Member of Parliament and Senator, Member of the Senate of Iran.

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5. Majid Khadduri

1909-2007 (aged 98)

jurist university teacher

Majid Khadduri was an Iraqi academic. He was founder of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Middle East Studies program, a division of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C. Internationally, he was recognized as a leading authority on a wide variety of Islamic subjects, modern history and the politics of the Middle East. He was the...

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6. Mary Ajami

1888-1965 (aged 77)

writer journalist salonnière poet journal editor

Mary Ajami was a Syrian poet and pioneering feminist writer in Arabic, who launched the first women's periodical in West Asia, titled Al-'Arus (Arabic: العروس, lit. 'The Bride').

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7. Rosarita Tawil

1988-. (aged 38)

actor beauty pageant contestant model

Rosarita Tawil is a Lebanese humanitarian, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Lebanon 2008.

8. Kevork Ajemian

1932-1998 (aged 66)

poet writer

Kevork Vartani Ajemian was a prominent Syrian-Armenian writer, journalist, novelist, theorist and public activist, and long-time publisher of the Beirut-based literary, artistic and general publication Spurk (in Armenian Սփիւռք). Ajemian was a co-founder of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) military organization.

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9. Raya El Hassan

1967-. (aged 59)

politician

Raya El Hassan is a Lebanese politician who held the office of the interior and municipalities ministry, and the finance ministry. She is the first woman in Lebanon to be appointed to these and equivalent posts in the government.

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10. Shibli Shumayyil

1853-1917 (aged 64)

writer journalist physician poet journal editor

Shibli Shumayyil was a Lebanese doctor who published on topics such as Islamic socialism and social Darwinism in leading Arabic-language journals of his day.

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11. Suad Amiry

1951-. (aged 75)

architect engineer writer

Suad Amiry is a Palestinian author and architect living in Ramallah.

12. Rima Khalaf

1953-. (aged 73)

politician economist

Rima Khalaf Hunaidi is a national of Jordan who served as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) from 2010 to 2017. She resigned from this position in March 2017, rather than comply with a request from the UN Secretary General António Guterres to withdraw a report that accused Israel of establishing an...

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13. Tarek Mitri

1950-. (aged 76)

university teacher politician

Tarek Mitri is a Lebanese university professor, independent politician and former government minister who is currently serving as the deputy prime minister of Lebanon as of 8 February 2025.

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14. Mohamad Chatah

1951-2013 (aged 62)

diplomat economist politician

Mohammad Chatah was a Lebanese economist and diplomat.

15. Haidar Abdel-Shafi

1919-2007 (aged 88)

politician physician

Haidar Abdel-Shafi, was a Palestinian physician, community leader and political leader who was the head of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Conference of 1991.

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16. Suleiman al-Nabulsi

1908-1976 (aged 68)

diplomat economist politician

Suleiman Nabulsi was a leftist Jordanian political figure who served as the 12th Prime Minister of Jordan in 1956–57.

17. Yassine Jaber

1951-. (aged 75)

politician

Yassine Jaber is a Lebanese politician and businessman. He represented the Nabatiyeh district in the Lebanese Parliament from 1996 until 2022. Although an independent that has never been a member of any party, due to the Shiite power sharing structures he is affiliated with the Liberation and Development bloc led by Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri. He is currently serving as...

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18. Said Khoury

1923-2014 (aged 91)

entrepreneur

Said Tawfiq Khoury was a prominent Palestinian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was one of the three founders of Consolidated Contractors Company, currently based in Athens.

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19. Ghassan Tueni

1926-2012 (aged 86)

writer journalist diplomat politician

Ghassan Tueni was a Lebanese journalist, politician and diplomat who headed An Nahar, one of the Arab world's leading newspapers. Some call him "The Dean of Lebanese Journalism".

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20. Mohamed Waheed Hassan

1953-. (aged 73)

politician

Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik is a Maldivian politician who served as the fifth president of the Maldives from 7 February 2012 to 17 November 2013, having previously served as vice president from 2008 to 2012. He assumed the presidency following the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed.

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21. Muhammad Fadhel al-Jamali

1903-1997 (aged 94)

minister writer politician

Muhammad Fadhel al-Jamali was an Iraqi statesman, educator, politician and diplomat, who held important posts in the government of Iraq, during the royal era. Most notably he served as Iraq's prime minister two times and foreign minister from 1946 to 1948 and was also the Director of Foreign Affairs and a member of the Arab Federation Council in 1958.

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22. Neemat Frem

1967-. (aged 59)

engineer businessperson politician

Neemat Georges Frem is a prominent Lebanese politician, businessman, and entrepreneur. He is currently a Member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Keserwan and Byblos constituency and has been serving since May 2022.

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23. Bahij al-Khatib

1895-1981 (aged 86)

politician

Bahij al-Khatib was a French-appointed Syrian Head of State from July 8, 1939 to April 4, 1941.

24. Ayah Bdeir

1982-. (aged 44)

designer engineer entrepreneur

Ayah Bdeir is a Lebanese-Canadian entrepreneur, inventor, and innovator. She is the inventor of littleBits, a company that produces modular electronics kits for education and prototyping, and that was acquired by Sphero in 2019. She is also the co-founder of Daleel Thawra, a directory of protests, initiatives, donations for the Lebanese Revolution.

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25. Ma Haide

1910-1988 (aged 78)

physician

Ma Haide, born Shafick George Hatem (Arabic: جورج شفيق حاتم), was an American-born Chinese doctor who practiced medicine in China.

26. Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar

1880-1940 (aged 60)

diplomat politician

Abdul Rahman Shahbandar was a Syrian statesman and prominent nationalist figure during the French Mandate of Syria. He was a leading opponent of compromise with the French colonial authority in Syria, and his devotion to Arab nationalism dated to the days of the Committee of Union and Progress and its "Turkification" policies. Shahbandar supported the Arab Revolt during the First...

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27. Mansur al-Atrash

1925-2006 (aged 81)

politician

Mansur al-Atrash was a Syrian politician and journalist. Together with fellow university students, Atrash became a founding member of the Ba'ath Party and its Syrian regional branch in 1947. During the presidency of Adib Shishakli (1951–54), he became an anti-government activist and was imprisoned twice, only to be released in an unsuccessful attempt by Shishakli to gain the support of...

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28. Ignatius IV of Antioch

1920-2012 (aged 92)

patriarch

Patriarch Ignatius IV was the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All The East from 1979 to 2012.

29. Haig Papazian

1987-. (aged 39)

violinist architect

Haig Papazian is a Lebanese-Armenian multidisciplinary artist, composer, and architect born in Beirut and currently based out of New York. He is a founding member and violinist of Lebanese pop band Mashrou' Leila.

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30. Abdelraouf al-Rawabdeh

1939-. (aged 87)

civil servant politician

Abdelraouf Salem Nahar al-Rawabdeh is a Jordanian retired politician who served as the 32nd Prime Minister of Jordan from 4 March 1999 until 19 June 2000, a leading political figure from the northern city of Irbid in Jordan.

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31. Huda Zoghbi

1954-. (aged 72)

neurogeneticist neurologist university teacher physician

Huda Yahya Zoghbi is a Lebanese-born American geneticist, and a professor at the Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neuroscience and Neurology at the Baylor College of Medicine. She is the director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute. She was the editor of the Annual Review of Neuroscience from 2018-2024.

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32. Anbara Salam Khalidy

1897-1986 (aged 89)

translator poet women's rights activist writer

Anbara Al-Salam Al-Khalidi was a Lebanese feminist, translator and author, who significantly contributed to the emancipation of Arab women.

33. Leila Shahid

1949-. (aged 77)

diplomat politician

Leila Shahid was a Palestinian diplomat. She was the first woman ambassador of Palestine, serving the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Ireland in 1989 and the Netherlands in 1990, then serving the Palestinian Authority (PA) in France where she had taken office in Paris in 1993. From 2006 to 2014, she was the General Delegate of Palestine in the European...

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34. Abdelmunim al-Rifai

1917-1985 (aged 68)

diplomat politician

Abdelmunim Rifai was prominent Jordanian political figure, held several significant positions within the government throughout his career, including serving as the 18th Prime Minister of Jordan in 1969 and 1970 and in various ministerial roles.

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35. George Saliba

1939-. (aged 87)

historian

George Saliba is a Lebanese-American historian who is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science at the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University, New York, where he has been since 1979. Saliba is currently the founding director of the Farouk Jabre Center for Arabic & Islamic Science & Philosophy and the Jabre-Khwarizmi Chair in the History...

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36. Saeb Salam

1905-2000 (aged 95)

politician

Saeb Salam was a Lebanese politician and za'im (political boss) who served as Prime Minister six times between 1952 and 1973. Following his death, the Lebanese daily As-Safir described Salam as "most successful in dealing with the media and in presenting a particular image of himself to people on a daily basis through wearing his customary carnation... and expounding unforgettable...

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37. Constantin Zureiq

1909-2000 (aged 91)

political scientist professor writer intellectual historian

Constantin Zureiq was a prominent Syrian intellectual who was one of the first to pioneer and express the importance of Arab nationalism. He stressed the urgent need to transform stagnant Arab society utilizing rational thought and radical modification of the methods of thinking and acting. Some of his ideas, such as the "Arab mission" and "national philosophy" became key concepts...

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38. Ahmad Jarba

1969-. (aged 57)

politician

Ahmad Jarba, born in the city of Qamishli in 1969, is a Syrian opposition member and former political prisoner. He is a public opponent of Bashar al-Assad and between 6 July 2013 and 11 July 2014 he was President of the Syrian National Coalition, which is the main coalition of opposition groups in the Syrian Civil War, as well as...

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39. Reem Acra

fashion designer

Reem Acra is a fashion designer born in Beirut, Lebanon, known for her eponymous bridal gown line and her ready-to-wear collection.

40. As'ad AbuKhalil

1960-. (aged 66)

blogger political scientist

As'ad AbuKhalil is a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. AbuKhalil is the author of Historical Dictionary of Lebanon (1998), Bin Laden, Islam & America's New "War on Terrorism" (2002), and The Battle for Saudi Arabia (2004).

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41. Sadiq Jalal al-Azm

1934-2016 (aged 82)

university teacher philosopher non-fiction writer

Sadiq Jalal Al-Azm was a Professor Emeritus of Modern European Philosophy at the University of Damascus in Syria and was, until 2007, a visiting professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. His main area of specialization was the work of German philosopher Immanuel Kant, but he later placed a greater emphasis upon the Islamic world and...

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42. Talal Arslan

1965-. (aged 61)

politician

Emir Talal Arslan is a Lebanese politician and political chief of the Druze sect. He is the chief of the Arslan family, who claim descent from the Lakhmids.

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43. Bassam Abu Sharif

1946-. (aged 80)

politician

Bassam Abu Sharif is a former senior adviser to Yasser Arafat and leading cadre of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He was previously a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

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44. Mariam C. Said

writer

Mariam C. Said is a Lebanese-American writer and activist. She is the widow of Palestinian-American academic and activist Edward Said.

45. Karimeh Abbud

1893-1955 (aged 62)

photographer

Karimeh Abbud or Karimeh Abboud, was a Palestinian professional photographer and artist who lived and worked in Palestine in the first half of the twentieth century. She was one of the first woman photographers in Palestine and the Middle East.

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46. Fadi Ghandour

1959-. (aged 67)

entrepreneur

Fadi Ghandour is a Lebanese Jordanian entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the Executive Chairman of Wamda, a platform that builds and invests in entrepreneurship ecosystems across the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey and East Africa through Ecosystem Development programs and a venture capital fund investing in technology-enabled companies that operate in these markets.

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47. Abdullah Ensour

1939-. (aged 87)

politician

Abdullah Ensour is a Jordanian economist who served as the 40th prime minister of Jordan between October 2012 and May 2016. A veteran politician, he has held various cabinet positions in Jordanian government in addition to being prime minister.

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48. Yusuf al-Khal

1917-1987 (aged 70)

translator poet journalist writer

Yusuf al-Khal was a Syrian-Lebanese poet, journalist, and publisher. He is considered the greatest exponent of avantgardist prose poetry (qaṣīdat al-natr) in the Arab world as well one of the pioneers of Arabic surrealist poetry.

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49. Kamal Nasser

1924-1973 (aged 49)

poet politician

Kamal Butros Nasser was a Palestinian political leader, writer and poet. In the early 1970s, Nasser was a spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization.

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50. Adnan Pachachi

1923-2019 (aged 96)

diplomat politician

Adnan Muzahim Ameen al-Pachachi, better known as Adnan Pachachi, was an Iraqi politician and statesman who served as Iraq's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1959–1965 and 1967–1969) and foreign minister (1965–1967).

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51. Hisham Kabbani

1945-2024 (aged 79)

ulema preacher

Hisham Kabbani was a Lebanese-American Sunni Sufi Muslim scholar belonging to the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi order. Kabbani has counseled and advised Muslim leaders to build community resilience against violent extremism. In 2012, the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre named him on The 500 Most Influential Muslims.

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52. Salim al-Huss

1929-2024 (aged 95)

economist diplomat university teacher politician

Salim Ahmad al-Huss, also spelled Selim El-Hoss, was a Lebanese politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon and a longtime Member of Parliament representing his hometown, Beirut. He was known as a technocrat.

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53. Tony Nader

1955-. (aged 71)

university teacher neuroscientist neurologist

Tony Nader is a Lebanese neuroscientist, researcher, university president, author and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement. He has a medical degree in internal medicine, received his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked as a clinical and research fellow at a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

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54. Faris al-Khoury

1877-1962 (aged 85)

diplomat politician

Fares al-Khoury was a Syrian statesman, minister, prime minister, speaker of parliament, and father of modern Syrian politics. Faris Khoury went on to become prime minister of Syria from October 14, 1944, to October 1, 1945, and from October 1954 to February 13, 1955. Fares Khoury's position as prime minister is, as of 2025, the highest political position a Syrian...

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55. Omar Abu Risha

1910-1990 (aged 80)

diplomat playwright poet

Omar Abu Risha was a Syrian poet and diplomat. He served as the Syrian ambassador to the United States from 1961 to 1964 and was a renowned poet who lyricized Fī Sabīli al-Majd (In Pursuit of Glory), Syria's de facto national anthem.

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56. Ardem Patapoutian

1967-. (aged 59)

neuroscientist molecular biologist

Ardem Patapoutian is a Lebanese-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate of Armenian descent. He is known for his work in characterizing the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize...

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57. Jurji Zaydan

1861-1914 (aged 53)

poet writer journal editor novelist teacher

Jurji Zaydan was a prolific Lebanese novelist, journalist, editor and teacher, most noted for his creation of the magazine Al-Hilal, which he used to serialize his twenty three historical novels.

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58. Ismail al-Azhari

1900-1969 (aged 69)

writer politician

Ismail al-Azhari was a Sudanese nationalist and political figure. He served as the first Prime Minister of Sudan between 1954 and 1956, and as Head of State of Sudan from 1965 until he was overthrown by Gaafar Nimeiry in 1969.

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59. Riad Salameh

1950-. (aged 76)

political economist financier banker

Riad Toufic Salameh is a Lebanese economist. He previously was governor of Lebanon's central bank, Banque du Liban, from August 1993 until July 2023. He was appointed Governor by decree, approved by the Council of Ministers for a renewable term of six years. He was reappointed for four consecutive terms; in 1999, 2005, 2011 and 2017. Riad Salameh left his...

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60. Hamed Sinno

1988-. (aged 38)

singer

Hamed Sinno is a Lebanese-American musician and writer. They were the lead singer of the alternative rock band Mashrou' Leila until the group disbanded in 2022.

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61. Ted Arison

1924-1999 (aged 75)

banker ship-owner businessperson

Ted Arison was an Israeli businessman who co-founded Norwegian Cruise Lines in 1966 with Knut Kloster and soon left to form Carnival Cruise Lines in 1972.

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62. Badryah El-Bishr

1967-. (aged 59)

writer novelist

Badriah Al-Beshr is a Saudi Arabian writer and novelist. She was born in Riyadh and obtained a bachelor's degree and master's degree from King Saud University and a PhD from the Lebanese University in 2005. She has taught at Al Jazeera University in Dubai. A weekly columnist at Al Yamama magazine since 1997, she won the prize for "best newspaper...

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63. Ibrāhīm tooqān

1905-1941 (aged 36)

teacher writer journalist literary scholar poet

Ibrahim Abd al-Fattah Tuqan was a Palestinian nationalist poet whose work rallied Arabs during their revolt against the British mandate. Tuqan was the brother of fellow poet Fadwa Tuqan, whom he tutored and influenced; the two belonged to the prominent Tuqan family that governed Nablus during the 18th and 19th centuries.

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64. Sa'dun Hammadi

1930-2007 (aged 77)

politician banker

Sa'dun Hammadi was an Iraqi politician, writer and economist who held various positions in the Iraqi state, most notably as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1974 to 1983, and later as the longest serving Speaker of the National Assembly under President Saddam Hussein from 1996 until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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65. Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah

1894-1935 (aged 41)

mathematician researcher inventor telecommunications engineer

Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah was a Lebanese electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and inventor. He was born in Nabatieh in present-day Lebanon.

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66. Ali Moein Jaber

1961-. (aged 65)

television presenter

Ali Jaber is a Lebanese journalist, media consultant, TV personality and the Group TV Director of MBC, the Arab world's largest satellite broadcaster.

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67. Abdulla Yameen

1959-. (aged 67)

politician

Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician who served as president of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018.

68. Hanan Ashrawi

1946-. (aged 80)

scholar of English human rights defender university teacher politician

Hanan Daoud Mikhael Ashrawi is a Palestinian politician, activist, and scholar.

69. Antun Saadeh

1904-1949 (aged 45)

writer journal editor activist philosopher politician

Antoun Saadeh was a Lebanese politician, sociologist, philosopher and writer who founded the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

70. Salam Fayyad

1952-. (aged 74)

politician economist

Salam Fayyad is a Palestinian politician and economist who served as the first prime minister of Palestine from January 2013 until his resignation in June of that same year. He was previously the fourth prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority from 2007 until the post was replaced in 2013. He was Finance Minister from June to November 2005 and...

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71. Fouad Siniora

1943-. (aged 83)

politician

Fouad Siniora is a Lebanese politician. He served as the 46th prime minister of Lebanon from 2005 to 2009. He served as minister of Finance from 2000 to 2004.

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72. Wasfi Tal

1919-1971 (aged 52)

diplomat politician

Wasfi Tal was a Jordanian politician, statesman and military officer. He served as the 15th Prime Minister of Jordan for three separate terms, 1962–63, 1965–67 and 1970 until his assassination in 1971.

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73. Gebran Bassil

1970-. (aged 56)

politician

Gebran Gerge Bassil is a Lebanese politician who is the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement since 2015 and leader of the Strong Lebanon bloc in the Lebanese parliament since 2018. A Maronite Christian, he is the son-in-law of former president Michel Aoun, and has been his most senior advisor since 2005.

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74. Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi

1956-. (aged 70)

military personnel

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is the current ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. He became the chief of the ruler's Emiri court in 1979, the head of the Municipal Council in 1986, and the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of the Emirate in June 2003. Then,...

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75. Ali Al-Wardi

1913-1995 (aged 82)

anthropologist sociologist writer historian

Ali Hussain Muhsin Al-Wardi was an Iraqi sociologist and public intellectual specialized in the field of social history.

76. Shoghi Effendi

1897-1957 (aged 60)

religious leader translator Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith

Shoghí Effendi was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, including the creation of its global administrative structure and the prosecution of Baháʼí teaching plans that oversaw the expansion of the religion to several new countries. As...

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77. Wadie Haddad

1927-1978 (aged 51)

physician activist politician

Wadie Haddad, also known by the kunya Abu Hani (أبو هاني), was a Palestinian militant and founding leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who later split to form the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - External Operations (PFLP-EO). Haddad organized several hijackings of international civilian passenger aircraft in the 1960s and 1970s.

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78. Rula Ghani

1948-. (aged 78)

politician

Rula F. Saadah Ghani is a former first lady of Afghanistan and wife of former president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani.

79. Ali Akbar Salehi

1949-. (aged 77)

physicist diplomat university teacher politician

Ali Akbar Salehi is an Iranian academic, diplomat and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, who served in this position from 2009 to 2010 and also from 2013 to 2021. He served for the first time as head of the AEOI from 2009 to 2010 and was appointed to the post for a second time on 16...

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80. Abdullah Al-Nafisi

1945-. (aged 81)

critic writer politician

Abdullah Fahad Al-Nafisi is a Kuwaiti politician and academic. He graduated from The University of Cambridge in 1972. He was a member of the National Assembly of Kuwait in 1985.

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81. Jihad Mughniyah

1991-2015 (aged 24)

Jihad Mughniyah was a prominent member of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah, and the son of Imad Mughniyeh. He was killed in 2015 in the Mazraat Amal incident, an airstrike attributed to Israel.

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82. Imad Mughniyah

1962-2008 (aged 46)

military commander

Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, also known by his nom de guerre al-Hajj Radwan (الحاج رضوان), was a Lebanese militant leader who was the founding member of Lebanon's Islamic Jihad Organization and number two in Hezbollah's leadership. He is believed to have been Hezbollah's chief of staff and overseer of its military, intelligence, and security apparatus. He has been described as a...

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83. Mohamed Agha

1955-. (aged 71)

entrepreneur politician

Najib Azmi Mikati is a Lebanese politician and businessman who served as the 52nd prime minister of Lebanon from 2021 to 2025. He also served in this post as the 48th and 45th prime minister from 2011 to 2014 and in 2005, after holding the post of Minister of Public Works and Transport from December 1998 to 2003.

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84. George Habash

1926-2008 (aged 82)

politician physician

George Habash was a Palestinian politician and physician who was the founder and first general-secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) from 1967 to 2000.

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85. Walid Jumblatt

1949-. (aged 77)

politician

Walid Kamal Jumblatt is a Lebanese politician, who was the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party from 1977 until 2023. A Druze and former militia commander, Jumblatt led the Lebanese National Resistance Front, allying with Amal, the Palestine Liberation Organisation, and Marada Brigade during the 1983-1990 phase of Lebanese Civil War. He worked closely with Suleiman Frangieh to oppose Amine...

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86. Zalmay Khalilzad

1951-. (aged 75)

diplomat politician

Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad is an American diplomat and foreign policy expert. He served as the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation from 2018 to 2021. He also served as United States ambassador to the United Nations, serving in the role from 2007 to 2009. He previously served in the Bush administration as ambassador to Afghanistan from 2004 to 2005 and...

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87. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh

1938-. (aged 88)

entrepreneur

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh is a Jordanian-Palestinian businessman, entrepreneur, and the founder and chairman of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), an international company headquartered in Jordan. He has been recognized for his role in promoting intellectual property rights in the Arab world.

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88. Zaha Hadid

1950-2016 (aged 66)

designer sculptor jewelry designer university teacher painter

Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was an Iraqi and British architect, artist, and designer. She is recognised as a key figure in the architecture of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate and later enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972. In search of an alternative to traditional architectural drawing,...

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89. Kim Ghattas

1977-. (aged 49)

journalist opinion journalist

Kim Ghattas is a Lebanese journalist based in Beirut who writes for The Atlantic. Previously, she covered the US State Department for the BBC. She is a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East, which...

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90. Fahda bint Saud

1953-. (aged 73)

writer painter

Fahda bint Saud Al Saud is a Saudi royal and artist. She is one of the grandchildren of Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz and one of the children of King Saud.

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91. Taha Baqir

1912-1984 (aged 72)

anthropologist linguist historian university teacher assyriologist

Taha Baqir was an Iraqi Assyriologist, author, cuneiformist, linguist, historian, and former curator of the National Museum of Iraq.

92. Ashraf Ghani

1949-. (aged 77)

university teacher politician writer anthropologist economist

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is an Afghan former politician and economist who served as the 8th and last president of Afghanistan from 2014 until his government was overthrown by the Taliban in 2021.

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93. Kamal Salibi

1929-2011 (aged 82)

historian archaeologist university teacher writer

Kamal Suleiman Salibi was a Lebanese historian, professor of history at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the founding Director (later Honorary President) of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies in Amman, Jordan.

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94. Nasri Atallah

1982-. (aged 44)

writer

Nasri Atallah is a British-Lebanese Author, television host, film producer, and entrepreneur. He is the editor-in-chief of Esquire Middle East, Esquire Saudi and Esquire Qatar. He is the Head of Content at SRMG, a co-founder of Last Floor Productions, and a Contributing Editor at GQ Middle East.

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95. Nazim al-Kudsi

1906-1998 (aged 92)

diplomat

Nazim al-Qudsi, was a Syrian politician who served as the president of Syria from 14 December 1961 to 8 March 1963.

96. Charles Malik

1906-1987 (aged 81)

writer diplomat philosopher politician

Charles Habib Malik was a Lebanese academic, diplomat, philosopher, and politician. He served as the Lebanese representative to the United Nations, the President of the Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations General Assembly, a member of the Lebanese Cabinet, the head of the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigration,...

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97. Mahmoud Hessabi

1903-1992 (aged 89)

nuclear physicist academic politician

Mahmoud Khan Mirza Hessabi was an Iranian nuclear physicist and senator. He was the minister of education in the cabinet of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh from 1951 to 1952.

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98. Omar Karami

1934-2015 (aged 81)

lawyer politician

Omar Abdul Hamid Karami was the 39th prime minister of Lebanon for two non-consecutive terms. He was Prime Minister for the first time from 24 December 1990, when Selim al-Hoss gave up power, until May 1992, when he resigned due to economic instability. He was again Prime Minister from October 2004 to April 2005 as the 44th Prime Minister.

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99. Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni

1908-1948 (aged 40)

militant politician

Abdul Qadir al-Husayni was a Palestinian revolutionary and Arab nationalist guerrilla military leader. In late 1933, he founded the secret militant group known as the Organization for Holy Struggle (Munathamat al-Jihad al-Muqaddas), which he and Hasan Salama commanded as the Army of the Holy War (Jaysh al-Jihad al-Muqaddas) during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt and the 1948 war.

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100. Ismail al-Faruqi

1921-1986 (aged 65)

university teacher philosopher

Ismaʿil Raji al-Faruqi was a Palestinian-American Muslim philosopher and scholar of religion. He contributed significantly to Islamic studies, ethics, and interfaith dialogue, and is best known for pioneering the Islamization of knowledge and articulating tawhid (monotheism) as a comprehensive worldview. He proposed a model of meta-religion based on shared ethical values and the universal concept of divine unity.

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