Short Bios of Lebanon’s New Ministers

After over two and a half years of caretaker leadership, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam finalized Lebanon’s government on Saturday. Here’s a look at the new ministers and their backgrounds.

Tarek Metri – Deputy Prime Minister

AUB alumnus Tarek Metri previously held served ministerial positions between 2005 and 2011, including the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Administrative Development, and Ministry of Information. He also served as Acting Foreign Minister.

Ghassan Salamé – Minister of Culture

Ghassan Salamé previously served as Lebanon’s Minister of Culture from 2000 until 2003. He was the Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs and a professor of International Relations at Sciences Po. He most recently serves as the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya from 2017 until 2020.

Ahmad Al-Hajjar – Minister of Interior

Ahmad Al-Hajjar, former director of the ISF, held prominent leadership roles in internal security and law enforcement. His expertise in national security, intelligence, and fighting organized crime has solidified his reputation in military and political circles.

Michel Mnassa – Minister of Defense

Michel Mnassa is a retired senior officer in the Lebanese Army who held various roles within the armed forces. He also served as Inspector General at the Ministry of Defense before he retired.

Youssef Rajji – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Youssef Rajji served as an ambassador to Jordan after building his career as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yassine Jaber – Minister of Finance

AUB alumnus Yassine Jaber served as a member of the Lebanese parliament and was appointed Minister of Economy from 1996 until 1998. He supported free trade policies while advocating for equitable economic development and human rights globally.

Rima Karami Akkary – Minister of Education

Dr. Rima Karami Akkary, a seasoned educator from Tripoli, is an Associate Professor and Chairperson at AUB. She leads the Tamam Project, focusing on sustainable school improvement, and specializes in school leadership, professional development, and educational policy across the Arab world.

Adel Nassar – Minister of Justice

Harvard alumnus Adel Nassar began his career as a trainee lawyer, later teaching business law and working at major firms, including Banque Audi France and Thieffry & Associés. Nassar is a member of both the Beirut and Paris Bars and represented Lebanon on the ICC arbitration commission.

Amer Al-Bassat – Minister of Economy

Amer Al-Bassat works as Managing Director of Emerging Markets at BlackRock and has held roles at hedge funds and major financial firms. Al-Bassat has taught economics at Columbia University and holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Finance from Columbia. He is also involved in cultural and academic organizations.

Rakan Nassereddine – Minister of Health

Dr. Rakan Nassereddine is a surgeon at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where he also teaches in the Department of Surgery. He earned his medical degree from AUB in 2014 and completed a vascular surgery fellowship in Ontario, Canada.

Fayez Rasamny – Minister of Public Works

The new Minister of Public Works is the Chairman of the Board of Rasamny Younis Motor Company (RYMCO) and studied business administration at Richmond, The American International University in London.

Charles Hajj – Minister of Communications

He holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering and a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Purdue University, and is a graduate of the “Young Managers” program at INSEAD.

Joe Saddi – Minister of Energy

Joe Saddi is the Chairman of Booz & Company and Managing Director of its Middle East operations. Since joining the firm in 1993, he has led projects in policy formulation, corporate and business strategies, as well as organization and governance.

Laura El Khazen Lahoud – Minister of Tourism

Mathematician Laura El Khazen-Lahoud held numerous leadership positions, including Executive Vice President of the Al Bustan Festival. The festival was founded by her mother, Myrna Boustani, and she has been actively involved in the festival’s renewal.

Kamal Shehadeh – Minister of Displaced Affairs and Minister of State for Technology Affairs

Kamal Shehadeh is a communications and technology leader with a BA from Harvard and a PhD from Columbia. He is a partner at THX Ventures and has held senior roles. Shehadeh also chaired Lebanon’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and led the ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators in 2009.

Joe Issa Khoury – Minister of Industry

He served as Executive Director at M1 Group, with experience at Saradar Investment House, Merrill Lynch, and Méditerranée Group. He holds a Civil Engineering degree from AUB and an MBA from INSEAD.

Nizar Al-Hani – Minister of Agriculture

Al-Hani, who has a PhD in Agricultural Studies, is the Manager of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve. His most recent achievement is receiving the prestigious Kenton R.Miller Award for Innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability from the International Union for the Conservation for Nature (IUCN).

Nora Bayrakdarian – Minister of Sports

Bayrakdarian is a professor and chair of the International Relations Department at the Lebanese University and a Senior Lecturer at the American University of Beirut. She also serves on the Scientific Council of the Doctoral School of Law and is a two-term member of Lebanon’s Economic, Social, and Environmental Council.

Mohammad Haidar – Minister of Labor

Dr. Mohamad Haidar is an Associate Professor at AUB and Director of the Nuclear Medicine Division and Cyclotron Facility. He founded a regional Nuclear Medicine fellowship program and serves as Assistant VP for Business at AUB’s Faculty of Medicine. He has held leadership roles in multiple regional and international nuclear medicine societies.

Tamara El Zein – Minister of Environment

Dr. Tamara El Zein is the former Secretary-General of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L). She has been a key advisor on scientific research and co-chairs the Franco-Lebanese committee for the PHC CEDRE program. Dr. El Zein also established the National Observatory for Women in Research (DAWReK’n) to promote gender equity in science.

Fadi Makki – Minister of State for Administrative Development

Makki has held several influential positions, including Director General of the Ministry of Economy and Trade in Lebanon and advisor to the Lebanese Prime Minister. He has worked at Booz & Company and Cisco, advising the Qatari Ministry of Finance, Economy, and Commerce on trade policies and the World Trade Organization.

Paul Morcos – Minister of Information

Dr. Paul Morcos holds a PhD in Law from Nancy II University in France and is the founder of the JUSTICIA BeirutConsult and President of the JUSTICIA Human Rights Organization. He has advised Lebanese Parliamentary committees, contributed to legal reforms, and coordinated Lebanon’s National Human Rights Plan.

Hanine Al Sayyed – Minister of Social Affairs

Al Sayyed had a distinguished career at the World Bank, leading reform programs and policy dialogue across regions, with a focus on social protection, education, poverty, and gender. She notably managed the Bank’s response to the 2011 Syrian conflict and now leads efforts to establish a social protection system in Lebanon.

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