Najib Mikati

Position: Prime Minister

Biography: Najib Mikati became prime minister in June 2011. The billionaire had previously held the post for a three-month spell in 2005, resigning after his efforts to form a consensus government failed.

Mikati graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1980 with a master’s degree in business administration. He is the co-founder of the M1 Group, a family-owned holding with assets in sectors such as telecom, real estate, aircraft financing, fashion and energy.

He made billions of dollars by selling Investcom, the telecoms company he had founded with his brother in 1982, to the MTN group. Mikati started his political career as minister of public works and transport in 1998. Two years later, he was elected to the National Assembly. As a parliamentarian, he is seen as moderately pro-Syrian. Before starting his second term as prime minister, he was re-elected to parliament representing Tripoli in 2009.

Contact: www.najib-mikati.net