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Hassan Diab

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Not to be confused with Hassan Diab (sociologist). Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2020 to 2021

Hassan Diab
حَسَّان دِيَاب
Diab in 2020
51st Prime Minister of Lebanon
In office
21 January 2020 – 10 September 2021
PresidentMichel Aoun
DeputyZeina Akar
Preceded bySaad Hariri
Succeeded byNajib Mikati
8th Minister of Education and Higher Learning
In office
13 June 2011 – 15 February 2014
PresidentMichel Suleiman
Prime MinisterNajib Mikati
Preceded byHasan Mneimneh
Succeeded byElias Abou Saab
Personal details
Born (1959-06-01) 1 June 1959 (age 65)
Beirut, Lebanon
Political partyIndependent
SpouseNuwar Mawlawi
Children3
Alma mater
Websitehassandiab.com

Hassan Diab (Arabic: حَسَّان دِيَاب, romanized: Hassân Diyâb; born 1 June 1959) is a Lebanese academic, engineer and politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon from 21 January 2020 to 10 September 2021. He was appointed by President Michel Aoun in 2019 to succeed Saad Hariri as prime minister. He submitted his resignation on 10 August 2020 in wake of the 2020 Beirut explosion and served as caretaker prime minister until Najib Mikati formed a new government on 10 September 2021. Prior to his premiership, he served as the minister of education from June 2011 to February 2014 under President Michel Suleiman.

Early life and education

Diab was born in Beirut on 1 June 1959. He has a bachelor of science degree in communications engineering, which he received from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1981. Then he obtained a master's degree in systems engineering from the University of Surrey in 1982, and a PhD in computer engineering from the University of Bath in 1985.

Academic career

Diab was a career academic, joining the American University of Beirut (AUB) as an electrical engineering professor in 1985. He has published over 150 articles and papers in scientific journals and scientific conferences. He called himself an advocate for educational reform in Lebanon and authored books on the topic. He also served as vice president for regional external programs at the AUB from October 2006 to June 2011.

On 13 June 2011, Diab was appointed minister of education and higher education as part of Najib Mikati's cabinet, replacing Hasan Mneimneh in the post. Diab's term ended on 15 February 2014, and Elias Abu Saab succeeded him in the post.

Premiership

See also: Cabinet of Hassan Diab

Diab was designated as the next prime minister succeeding Saad Hariri on 19 December 2019, amidst the protests that had caused Hariri's resignation. Diab's candidacy won the support of 69 members out of 128 of the Lebanese parliament, and his support came from parties that co-form the March 8 Alliance, namely the Hezbollah-allied parliamentary blocs, but did not receive the backing of parties from his own Sunni community.

Diab is an independent, not vocally supporting any political group, and had a low public profile at the time of his appointment.

Lebanon's new government was formed on 21 January 2020 after Diab and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri met with President Michel Aoun. Diab then announced the new twenty-member cabinet made up of technocrats reporting that they would work on new election law, seeking an independent judiciary and the return of looted public funds. During the first session of the new cabinet, Diab announced that his first official visits would be to countries "in the Arab region, especially the Gulf". He said nothing about abiding by the reforms promised by Hariri and chose to maintain the ministry of information, which Hariri had promised to abolish. On 3 February, Diab signed the state budget for 2020, reducing spending by $700 million and on 6 February the cabinet approved a financial rescue plan to present to the parliament.

On 7 March 2020, Diab announced Lebanon would default on a sovereign debt for the first time in its history.

In the wake of the Beirut explosion, the Diab cabinet declared a two-week state of emergency in the Lebanese capital, thus giving the Lebanese military full powers in the city. On Saturday, August 8, mass protests broke out against the government, dramatically escalating as protestors, angry at the Lebanese government for their failure to prevent the disaster (and the general crisis), seized multiple government buildings and clashed with the military. In the evening, in a televised address, Diab declared that Lebanon could not get out of the crisis without early parliamentary elections, echoing the demands of the protestors, and added that on Monday, he would propose to his cabinet a bill to call for early parliamentary polls. Before the Monday, August 10 meeting, five ministers out of the cabinet's twenty tendered their resignation, two less than the seven required by the Lebanese Constitution to force the whole cabinet's resignation, in what was later declared by politicians close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and President Michel Aoun to have been a reaction to Diab's proposed bill. Due to Aoun's refusal to discuss the early elections bill, the meeting took place in the Grand Sérail instead of the Baabda Presidential Palace. Diab tendered his government's resignation that evening.

Personal life

Diab is married to Nuwar Mawlawi and has three children. He is a Sunni Muslim.

Selected publications

References

  1. "University professor nominated to be Lebanese PM". 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  2. "Diab nominated as PM with 69 votes". Daily Star. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  3. ^ Raya Shartouni (20 December 2019). "Profile - Hassan Diab Lebanon's new premier". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Biography". Official Website. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Our People". American University of Beirut. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Who is Hassan Diab, Lebanon's next prime minister?". The National. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  7. Wassim Mroueh (22 June 2011). "New education minister eschews political spats". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  8. "Fresh hopes for Lebanon cabinet formation". Al Arabiya. 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  9. Hubbard, Ben; Saad, Hwaida (19 December 2019). "Lebanon, Mired in Crises, Turns to a Professor as Prime Minister". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  10. ^ Mahmut Geldi (22 January 2020). "Lebanon forms new government led by Hassan Diab". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  11. "Lebanon unveils new government led by PM Hassan Diab". Daily Sabah. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  12. Hussein Yassine (30 January 2020). "Hassan Diab's First Official Trip Will Be to the Arab Countries". The961. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  13. Sami Moubayed (28 January 2020). "All eyes on PM Hassan Diab and Lebanon's deadlock". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  14. "Prime Minister Hassan Diab signs 2020 state budget, referring it to presidency". The Daily Star. 3 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  15. "Lebanon PM signs 2020 state budget with $700m spending cuts". Middle East Monitor. 3 February 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  16. "Lebanon cabinet approves financial rescue plan". Reuters. 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  17. "For the first time, Lebanon defaults on its debts". The Economist. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  18. "Lebanon gov't declares emergency in Beirut after deadly explosion". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  19. Azhari, Timour. "Protesters raid gov't buildings as fury grows over Beirut blast". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  20. "Lebanon PM Hassan Diab to call for early vote after port blast". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  21. "Diab démissionne... et après ?". L'Orient-Le Jour. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  22. "Roadblocks across Lebanon as anger rises over Diab pick as PM". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.

External links

Political offices
Preceded bySaad Hariri Prime Minister of Lebanon
2020–2021 		Succeeded byNajib Mikati
Prime ministers of Lebanon (list)
French Mandate
(1918–1943)
Lebanese Republic
(since 1943)
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