Ahmad Karami (; 29 August 1944 – 5 July 2020) was a

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

Lebanese politician and

minister of state Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

in the cabinet of

Najib Mikati Najib Azmi Mikati (born 24 November 1955) is a Lebanese politician and businessman who served as the 52nd prime minister of Lebanon from 2021 to 2025. He previously served in this post as the 48th and 45th prime minister from 2011 to 2014 and i ...

Early life and education

Karami was from a powerful political family based in

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

. His father, Mustafa Karami, founded the National Youth Party in 1933. Former

Prime Ministers A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rat ...

Rashid Karami Rashid Karami (; 30 December 1921 – 1 June 1987) was a Lebanese statesman. He is considered one of the most important political figures in Lebanon for more than 30 years, including during much of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), and serve ...

and

Omar Karami Omar Abdul Hamid Karami (last name also spelled Karamé and Karameh) (; 7 September 1934 – 1 January 2015) was the 29th prime minister of Lebanon for two non-consecutive terms. He was Prime Minister for the first time from 24 December 199 ...

were both cousins of Mustafa Karami. Ahmad Karami was born in Tripoli on 29 August 1944. He held a bachelor's degree in economics and political science which he received from

Beirut Arab University Beirut Arab University (BAU) () is a Lebanese private university mainly located in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded by the Lebanese Waqf El-Bir wal Ihsan Society in 1960. The university's main campus is situated close to the southern entrance of ...

in 1970.

Career

Karami served as the director of the

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

of Tripoli from 1973 to 1991. Then he became the deputy of Tripoli following the

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

in 1996 and the 2009 general elections. He was elected on

Saad Hariri Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri ( ; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese people, Lebanese businessman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon, prime minister of Lebanon from 2009 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. The son of Rafic Hariri, he ...

's list in the 2009 elections. Karami supported the premiership of Najib Mikati in 2011 after the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

of Saad Hariri collapsed. Karami was appointed minister of state in June 2011 to the

led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Mikati appointed him to the cabinet. Karami was one of the non-affiliated members and seven Sunni ministers of the Mikati cabinet. His term ended in March 2013 when Najib Mikati resigned due to dispute with

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

members in the cabinet.

Personal life and death

Karami married Zeina Al Nabhani and had three children. He died on 5 July 2020 at the hospital of

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 ...

following a sudden illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karami, Ahmad 20th-century Lebanese politicians 21st-century Lebanese politicians 1944 births 2020 deaths Beirut Arab University alumni Ministers without portfolio of Lebanon Lebanese Sunni politicians Members of the Parliament of Lebanon Politicians from Tripoli, Lebanon