Famous Lebanese People

Serj Tankian is an Armenian-American record producer, singer, and songwriter. Tankian is credited with co-founding the popular band System of a Down. Renowned for his wide vocal range and unusual delivery, Serj Tankian is widely considered one of the best heavy metal vocalists of all time. Also a political activist, Tankian co-founded Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization.

Lebanese author and poet Khalil Gibran is best remembered for his bestselling works The Prophet and Broken Wings. One of the leaders of the Mahjar movement of Arabic literature, he specialized in incorporating mythological and mystical symbols in his works and was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche and William Blake.

Carlos Ghosn is a French–Lebanese–Brazilian businessman who served as the CEO of Michelin North America. He also served as the chairman and CEO of Nissan and Renault. In 1999, he saved Nissan from near bankruptcy and turned around its fortune. In 2018, he was arrested in Japan for misusing Nissan's assets. He dramatically escaped from the custody is currently an internationally wanted fugitive.

Nancy Ajram is a Lebanese singer and businesswoman. She began performing as a child and was just 15 when she released her debut album. As a young woman, she became known as a sex symbol. She has sold millions of records worldwide and is one of the best-selling Middle Eastern music artists. She has numerous accolades to her name.

Lebanese singer-actor Nuhad al-Haddad, better known by her stage name Fairouz, began her career with Radio Lebanon. Now considered a cultural icon of Lebanon, she soared to fame with her collaborations with the Rahbani Brothers and was married to Assi El Rahbani. Itab remains her best-known hit.

Swedish singer Maher Zain had moved to Sweden from Lebanon with his family at 8. A qualified aeronautical engineer, he is now known for his fusion of Eastern and Western music and for the religious overtones in his songs. He has also worked with UNHCR to support Syrian refugees.

One of the bestselling Arab music artists of her time, Lebanese-Egyptian singer Haifa Wehbe soared to fame with hits such as Touta. The 6-time Murex d’Or Award-winning artist has also starred in movies such as Dokkan Shehata and TV series such as Kalam Ala Warak and Maryam.

Lebanese designer Elie Saab had started dressing up his sisters in scraps at age 10. Known for his ornate bridal couture, combining Western silhouettes and Middle-Eastern embellishments, he was the first non-Italian in the governing body of the Milan Fashion Week. He also ventured into interior design in Dubai.

Born to a Lebanese father and a Tunisian mother, Nadine Nassib Njeim was crowned Miss Lebanon 2004 and later represented Lebanon at the Miss Universe pageant. She exhibited her acting skills in series such as Samra. After being injured in the deadly 2020 Beirut explosion, she underwent a 6-hour surgery.

Lebanese diva Cyrine Abdelnour made her mark in modelling working with fashion-designers like Zuhair Murad. She received the title Model of the World. She has acted in many Arabic television serials and films and won four Murex D'or awards as the best Lebanese actress. Her song Law Bas Fe Aini emerged as one of the most-popular Lebanese songs in 2006.   

Edmond Safra was a Lebanese Brazilian banker. His father was a prominent banker, and he began his career working at his father’s bank. He was hardworking, ambitious, and street-smart and started earning millions while still in his teens. He was also a major philanthropist. He died in an arson that attracted wide media interest.  

Legendary Lebanese singer Sabah, nicknamed Shahruret-el Wadi, was one of the first international music icons from her country. She had not only performed at prestigious venues such as the Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, but was also a star of Egyptian movies such as El-Qalb Louh Wahid.

Lebanese singer, actor, and dancer Myriam Fares is regarded as the Queen of the Stage and is often compared to Shakira. A Christian star in the Arab world, she has faced cyber trolling in the past for her religious views. She is known to international audiences for her documentary Myriam Fares: The Journey.

Lebanese singer and TV personality Ragheb Alama started his career with the TV talent show Studio El Fan. The Murex d'Or Award-winning artist is now one of the most popular Arab music artists of the world. A philanthropist, too, he launched the Saint George Schools to educate Arab children.

Ibrahim Maalouf is a French-Lebanese composer and jazz trumpeter. In addition to his many studio albums, Maalouf is also known for his contribution as a composer for many movie soundtracks and symphonic orchestras. In 2014, he was honored at the French Music Awards with the prestigious Best World Music Artist award.

Singer-songwriter and fashion-icon Najwa Karam rose to prominence as a leading Lebanese singer and a Middle Eastern pop-icon with albums like Oyoun Qalbi and Nedmaneh. The latter won her a Murex d'Or award and several Rotana Records awards. Known for her unique style of blending traditional and contemporary Arabic music, Karam has appeared as a judge at Arabs Got Talent.

Lebanese composer and pianist Ziad Rahbani was no stranger to music as a child, being the son of legendary Lebanese musicians Assi Rahbani and Fairouz. Known for his tracks such as El Hilwa Di and Allamouni and his iconic album Bennesbeh Labokra Chou, he is a legend in his own right.

Wael Kfoury is a legend in the Arab music scene and is known as The King of Romance for his soulful ballads. He soared to fame after winning the TV show Studio el Fan and later released chart-topping hits such as Ma Wa'adtak bi Njoum el Leyl and Meen Habeebi Ana.

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.

Lebanese-American author and activist Brigitte Gabriel is known for her prominent anti-Muslim stance. She went through a troubled childhood in Lebanon, after her village was bombed by Muslim radicals. She lived in Israel as a refugee, before moving to the US and launching the anti-Islam organization ACT! for America.

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.  

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.

A singer, known for her patriotic songs, Julia Boutros is also the wife of former defense minister of Lebanon, Elias Bou Saab. She soared to fame with tracks such as Ghabet Shams El Haq and once donated the profits garnered from one of her tracks to the Lebanese victims of the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

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.

Lebanese pop star Nawal Al Zoghbi is often compared to Madonna for her sassy style. Politically outspoken, she supports the Palestinian cause. Known for using the oud, she has achieved popularity with tracks such as El Layali and Habeit Ya Leil and won honors such as the Murex d'Or Award.

Assi Rahbani, part of the Lebanese composer duo The Rahbani Brothers, which also had his brother Mansour Rahbani, previously worked with Near East Radio. He later mostly composed music for his singer wife Nouhad Haddad, better known as Fairuz. The husband-wife duo also appeared in movies such as The Exile.

Lebanese singer-actor Diana Haddad has been one of the most popular artists from the Arab pop world. Known for her versatility, the singer first soared to fame at age 16, when she appeared on the talent show Studio El Fan. Some of her greatest tracks include Ammanih, Mani Mani, and Ya Aibo.

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.

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-Canadian musician Karl Wolf soared to fame with his cover version of Toto's Africa. Born to musician parents in Beirut, he moved to Sharjah and then to Montreal with his family. His hits include tracks such as Butterflies and collaborations such as Yalla Habibi. He is also part of the collective BAE.

Singer Yasmine Hamdan began her career with the rock band Lombrix and then soared to fame as part of Soapkills, an indie electro-pop band, with Zeid Hamdan. An Arab music icon, she later stepped into the French electronic new wave scene. Now married to filmmaker Elia Suleiman, she stays in Paris.

A Lebanese cultural icon, Wadih El Safi was 16 when he began his musical journey with a singing contest on Lebanese Radio. Over his 75-year career, he had sung more than 5,000 tracks, mostly of the Lebanese folk genre, and in multiple languages, including French and Portuguese.

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.

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 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 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.