Fouad Najjar (1909–1992) was a Lebanese agronomist and politician who served as minister of agriculture in 1958 and in 1964. He was also minister of agriculture and PTT between 1959 and 1960.

Early life and education

Najjar was born in Abadiyeh, Lebanon, in December 1909. He hailed from a

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

family. His parents were Amine and Adla Najjar. Najjar was a graduate of the University College of Aley and French Lycée of Beirut. Then he graduated from the Higher National School of Agronomy in

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, France, and received a Ph.D. in agronomy in 1932.

Career and activities

Following his graduation Najjar established an agricultural company and cofounded with his uncle an agricultural cooperation in Abadiyeh in 1937. He worked as a lecturer at the

American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB; ) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its main campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, autonomous board of trustees and offers programs le ...

from 1938 to 1948. He was appointed minister of agriculture in 1958. Next year he was named as minister of agriculture and PTT which he held until 1960. He continued to serve in the post as part of the cabinet of Ahmad Daouk between May and July 1960. Najjar was elected as the president of the Lebanese Agriculturists in 1961. He became a member of the Druze Council in 1962. He was appointed minister of agriculture in 1964. He was named as the president of the Agronomy Research Institute in 1969. Najjar represented Lebanon at various meetings of the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

Personal life and death

Najjar married Anissa Rawda on 4 April 1944, and they had 3 children. He died in 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Najjar, Fouad 20th-century Lebanese businesspeople 1909 births 1992 deaths Agriculture ministers of Lebanon Lebanese Druze people 20th-century agronomists People from Baabda District Lebanese company founders Academic staff of the American University of Beirut