Saad Harirị
Who was Saad Harirị?
Lebanese-Saudi businessman and politician who served as Prime Minister of Lebanon multiple times between 2009-2020.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Saad Harirị (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri was born on April 18, 1970, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is the son of Rafic Hariri, a significant Lebanese billionaire and statesman who served as Lebanon's Prime Minister before being assassinated in 2005. Saad studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and then entered the business world before moving into politics after his father's death. With both Lebanese and Saudi citizenship, he built much of his early career in the Saudi-based construction company Saudi Oger, founded by his father.
After Rafic Hariri's assassination on February 14, 2005, Saad took over the leadership of the Future Movement party, officially becoming its leader in 2007. He became a key figure in the March 14 Alliance, a coalition of Lebanese political groups opposing Syrian influence in Lebanon. His political path was significantly shaped by his pursuit of justice for his father's murder, including supporting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, set up to investigate the assassination.
Hariri first served as Prime Minister of Lebanon from November 9, 2009, to June 13, 2011, when his government fell after Hezbollah and its allies withdrew their support. He lived abroad for several years before returning to Lebanon in August 2014. He was appointed prime minister again in December 2016 and served until January 2020. During this time, in November 2017, he unexpectedly announced his resignation while in Saudi Arabia, doing so on Saudi state TV. This was widely seen as influenced by the Saudi-Iran rivalry affecting Lebanon. After President Michel Aoun stepped in, Hariri suspended his resignation and returned to Beirut.
He resigned again on October 29, 2019, amid widespread protests in Lebanon over economic issues and political corruption. He was named prime minister again in October 2020 but could not form a workable government and formally resigned in July 2021. In January 2022, he retired from politics and chose not to run in the parliamentary elections in May of that year. In February 2025, Hariri announced the Future Movement's return in a speech at Martyr's Square in Beirut, promising the party's involvement in upcoming elections and addressing Lebanon's rebuilding needs after the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict. In 2017, he was awarded the Commander of the Legion of Honour by France, highlighting his longstanding relationship with the French government and the historical connection between Lebanon and France.
Before Fame
Saad Hariri spent much of his childhood in Saudi Arabia, where his father Rafic built up a successful construction and business empire with Saudi Oger. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he learned about international politics and economics at an important stage in his life. After finishing his studies, he worked in the family business, gaining firsthand experience in major commercial operations across the Middle East.
When his father was assassinated in February 2005, Saad suddenly found himself in a much bigger role. The Lebanese political scene was in turmoil, and the Future Movement needed direction. He took on both his father's business interests and his political role. Despite never having held an elected position before, his family name and the momentum of the anti-Syrian Cedar Revolution made him a key figure in Lebanese politics.
Key Achievements
- Served as Prime Minister of Lebanon for two separate terms, from 2009 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2020.
- Founded and led the Future Movement party, one of Lebanon's most prominent Sunni political organizations, from 2007 onward.
- Played a leading role in the March 14 Alliance, the broad coalition that emerged after the Cedar Revolution to oppose Syrian political dominance in Lebanon.
- Advocated for and supported the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the international court established to investigate his father Rafic Hariri's assassination.
- Awarded the Commander of the Legion of Honour by France in 2017 in recognition of his political and diplomatic engagement.
Did You Know?
- 01.Hariri's November 2017 resignation announcement was delivered from Riyadh on Saudi state television, an unusual move that led to widespread speculation he was being held against his will in Saudi Arabia.
- 02.His father's construction company, Saudi Oger, once employed hundreds of thousands of workers and was among the largest construction firms in the Middle East before it collapsed in 2017.
- 03.Hariri holds dual Lebanese and Saudi citizenship and spent significant portions of his life outside Lebanon, including extended periods during political instability.
- 04.He was awarded France's Commander of the Legion of Honour in 2017, one of the highest distinctions granted by the French Republic to foreign nationals.
- 05.In February 2025, Hariri made his political comeback at Martyrs' Square in Beirut, the same public space that has historically served as a focal point for Lebanese political rallies and remembrance of his father.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Commander of the Legion of Honour | 2017 | — |