Famous Lebanese Leaders

Hassan Nasrallah has been the Secretary-General of Hezbollah since 1992. The Lebanese politician was the son of a grocer in Beirut and was forced to flee when the civil war broke out. He later joined a Lebanese paramilitary group and then the Hezbollah movement. He is also known as al-Sayyid Hassan.

Son of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic al-Hariri, Saad Hariri joined politics after his father was assassinated. After being educated in France and Saudi Arabia, Saad took over his father’s construction business and expanded into the telecom sector. The Future Movement member has also been Lebanon’s prime minister twice.

Camille Chamoun served as President of Lebanon from September 23, 1952, to September 22, 1958, and later founded the National Liberal Party. He emerged as a prominent Christian leader during the 1958 Lebanon crisis. An attempt to overthrow his government in June 1958, amidst the crisis, was prevented after he appealed to the US leading to a US military intervention.  

Rula F. Saadah Ghani is the wife of Ashraf Ghani who served as fifth President of Afghanistan until his government was overthrown by the Taliban on August 15, 2021. The Ghani family fled from Afghanistan on the same day. Rula advocated for women’s rights as the First Lady and was named to the Time 100 list by Time magazine in 2015.

A legendary figure of Lebanese politics, Nabih Berri was elected as the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon for the 7th consecutive term in May 2022. He also heads the Lebanese Amal Movement as its president. He was a successful lawyer before joining politics and worked with the Court of Appeals.

Elie Hobeika gained notoriety for his ruthlessness and involvement in Sabra and Shatila massacre as commander of Lebanese Forces militia during Lebanese Civil War. He later served as president of Lebanese Forces until the January 1986 Lebanese Forces coup when he was ousted from the position. Thereafter he formed Promise Party and served two terms in the Parliament of Lebanon.

Musa al-Sadr was an Iranian-born Lebanese scholar and political leader. He founded the Amal Movement, a political party associated with the Shia sect. He was born into an influential family tracing to Musa Ibn Jaafar, the seventh Shia Imam. At the peak of his popularity, he was considered a towering figure in Shia politics. He went missing in August 1978. 

Known as Al-Hakim, or The Doctor, Lebanese politician Samir Geagea was initially part of the Kataeb Party and then joined the Lebanese Forces. Born into a family of farmers, he had started studying medicine before the civil war forced him to take up a military and political career.

Walid Jumblatt is a Lebanese Druze politician who has been serving as the leader of the popular Progressive Socialist Party for many years now. A former militia commander, Walid Jumblatt also played a key role in the Syrian Civil War. Since the late-1970s, Walid Jumblatt has been the subject of photography like many other political leaders around the world. 

One of the most prominent figures of Lebanon’s independence movement, Riad al-Sulh became the country’s first prime minister after its independence. He was assassinated by Syrian Nationalist Party members, while visiting King Abdullah of Jordan. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of Lebanon.

Lebanese politician and leftist leader Kamal Jumblatt not only established the Progressive Socialist Party but also led the National Movement against the Lebanese Front. He was assassinated along with his driver and bodyguard by his political opponents. A supporter of the Palestine Liberation Organization, he had penned many books, too.

Former president of Lebanon, Émile Lahoud was initially part of the Lebanese army and navy. The son of pro-independence politician and military general Jamil Lahoud, he had a 30-year military career and was part of the Lebanese Civil War, too. He also strengthened the Lebanese army with the help of Syria.

Lebanese politician Tammam Salam served as Minister of Culture from 2008 to 2009. He was assigned to form new government following resignation of Najib Mikati's government. Supported by March 14 Alliance as also by Mikati, Salam served as Prime Minister of Lebanon from February 2014 to December 2016 and as acting President of Lebanon from May 2014 to October 2016.  

Regarded as the father of modern Lebanon, Fakhr al-Din II had been the Sanjak-bey of Sidon-Beirut and Safed. He had also governed Baalbek and Tripoli Eyalet. He was also the first to unite the Druze and Maronite districts of Lebanon. He was eventually executed by the Ottomans in Constantinople.

Former president of Lebanon, Michel Sulaiman initially commanded the Lebanese Armed Forces. An Independent Party leader, he has been part of the Lebanese Civil War, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the Operation Nahr el-Bared, among other military campaigns. His many honors include the National Order of the Cedar.

Gebran Tueni, who served as director-editorialist of An Nahar, gained international attention writing a front-page letter to Bashar Assad for withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Tueni cofounded Qornet Shehwan Gathering, contributed to Cedar Revolution demonstrations and became Member of Parliament of Lebanon. He was killed in 2005 as part of a series of assassinations that struck Lebanon since 2004. 

Former Lebanese president and Marada Movement politician Suleiman Franjieh was largely blamed for the civil war in his country in the 1970s. Initially an import-export dealer, he was later elected to the Lebanese Parliament. He was named The Tough Man for his mercurial temper and ruthless demeanour.

Lebanese politician and the founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Antoun Saadeh was also a prolific author, who wrote several books while in prison. He announced a revolution in Lebanon and was promised support by Syria, though Syria handed him over to the Lebanese government, which eventually executed him.

Former president and prime minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora has also been the finance minister of his country. The Future Movement leader had started his career working for Citibank and later also taught at various institutes, such as the Lebanese University. He is also a patron of Arab literature.

Former Lebanese president Elias Hrawi had initially studied law, though he dropped out of the course. Before joining politics, he dealt in vegetable export and oil import, too. Born into a political family, he was first elected to the National Assembly in the year 1972.

The first Lebanese president, Bishara al-Khuri had also been the prime minister of his country for 2 terms. Considered a national hero for his role in Lebanon’s independence movement, he had initially studied law in France and practiced as a lawyer before stepping into politics.

Former president of Lebanon, Fuad Chehab had started his career as part of the French forces in Syria and then became the commander of the Lebanese forces. He developed the Lebanese army post-independence and is remembered for bringing peace and stability to Lebanon. He also handled an attempted coup by the SSNP.

Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah is a Kuwaiti sports administrator and politician. He is best known for his service as the President of the Olympic Council of Asia from 1991 to 2021. A controversial personality, Ahmed was accused of corruption which led to his resignment.

Aḥmad Shuqayrī was a Lebanese Palestinian political leader who served as the first Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization from May 1964 to December 1967. Aḥmad Shuqayrī was used as a scapegoat by his opponents as one of his purported statements was used as part of the government's rationalization of their initiation of the Six-Day War.

Youssef Bey Karam, considered one of the major pillars of Lebanese nationalism, not only participated in the 1860 civil war but also led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. Well versed in languages such as French and Italian, the Lebanese Maronite had also been the governor of Ehden.

Former president of Lebanon, Charles Hélou was a qualified lawyer but started his career as a journalist for French newspapers. He later became an ambassador to the Vatican, too. Though he initially opposed the Palestine Liberation Organization, he later accepted coordination between them and the Lebanese army.

Former prime minister of Lebanon, Saeb Salam played a major role in Lebanon’s struggle of independence from the French mandate. He also went above and beyond religious rule and charted a path for modernizing Lebanon. He was known for his signature cigar and carnation, and his aphorisms such as “one Lebanon not two.”

Known for his lifelong struggle for the freedom of press, Lebanese journalist and politician Ghassan Tueni also made his father’s newspaper, An-Nahar, one of the best-known publications in the Arab world. He became an MP at age 25 and was a permanent United Nations representative from Lebanon.

Lebanese art collector, politician, businessman and sportsman Henri Philippe Pharaoun, who became the national tennis champion of Lebanon, is mostly remembered for the significant role he played in securing Lebanon's independence from France. He designed the Lebanese flag, served in the Lebanese Parliament and as the Lebanese foreign minister. As a Mediterraneanist, he supported peaceful coexistence between Christians and the Muslims.   

Lebanese politician Hamid Frangieh served as Foreign Minister under French mandate in 1939. He became Member of Parliament for the first time in 1932 and was thereafter elected six more times. After French control over Lebanon ended in 1943, Hamid served as Finance Minister and later as Foreign Minister of Lebanon. His brother Suleiman Franjieh became 5th President of Lebanon.  

Shafiq Dib al-Wazzan was a Lebanese politician best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 25 October 1980 to 30 April 1984. He was urged into the office as Lebanon was left without a government for more than four months after a political strife. While in office, Wazzan oversaw the retreat of Palestinian guerillas from Beirut.