Leila Al Solh (; born 1946) is the vice president of Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation and a former Lebanese minister of industry.

Early life and education

Born in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

in 1946, Leila Al Solh is the youngest daughter of the late former Lebanese Prime Minister Riad Al Solh, and his wife Fayza Al Jabiri. Leila Al Solh is the aunt of Al Waleed bin Talal. Leila Al Solh studied at the department of oriental studies of

Saint Joseph University Saint Joseph University of Beirut (; French: ''Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth'', commonly known as USJ) is a private Catholic research university in Beirut, Lebanon, founded in 1875 by French Jesuit missionaries and subsidized by the Go ...

, Beirut.

Career

Leila Al Solh served as the minister of industry in the cabinet led by

Prime Minister 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 r ...

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 ...

from 2004 to 2005, making her one of the early woman ministers in Lebanon. Al Solh is the vice president of Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Lebanon since its establishment in August 2003. Under her management, the foundation realized many activities to support for education, health and social organisations throughout the country.

Political views

Leila Al Solh published an article in the Lebanese daily '' An Nahar'' on 20 March 2001, criticising the Syrian government. She argued that

Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...

shares his father's (

Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (6 October 193010 June 2000) was a Syrian politician and military officer who was the president of Syria from 1971 until Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad, his death in 2000. He was previously the Prime Minister of Syria ...

's) ambition to control Lebanon. She further claimed that the differences between Bashar and Hafez al-Assad are that Bashar al-Assad is much more interested in "the investments of Lebanon's tycoons" than the land of Lebanon itself and that he attempts to eliminate foreign criticism by changing the locus of Syrian control from the "army to the ecurityagencies." On the other hand, Solh announced her support for the extension of president Emile Lahoud's term in 2004.

Publications

Leila Al Solh published two books on Lebanon as follows: (2009). ''Les élections de 2009, les enjeux culturels'' (The 2009 Elections, Cultural Issues), L’Orient – Le Jour (Special Edition)
(2008). ''Un Liban à retrouver'' (A Return to Lebanon), L’Orient – Le Jour (Special Edition)

Awards

On 12 March 2008, Leila Al Solh was awarded the Pontifical Medal by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

for the efforts of the Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation to encourage religious tolerance. Al Solh has been regarded as one of the most powerful women in the Middle East. She was named as one of the most powerful three women in 2008. She was considered to be the 4th most powerful woman among 100 Arab women in 2011. In 2012, she was nominated by ''

Arabian Business ''Arabian Business'' (''AB'') is a weekly business magazine published in Dubai and focusing on global and regional news analysis. The brand is aimed at the English and Arabic-speaking communities and is published in both languages. Its circula ...

'' as the 17th most powerful woman among 100 Arab women. She was named as the world's most influential 39th Arab in 2012 by ''Arabian Business''. In 2009, Al Solh was awarded with an honorary doctorate from the American University of Science and Technology.

Personal life

Leila Al Solh was married to former Lebanese education minister Majid Hamadeh. She has two daughters and one son. One of her daughters, Haya Majid Hamadeh, graduated from the faculty of medicine at

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 ...

in 2005.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solh, Leila 21st-century Lebanese women politicians 21st-century Lebanese politicians 1946 births

Leila Al Solh Leila Al Solh (; born 1946) is the vice president of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation and a former Lebanese minister of industry. Early life and education Born in Beirut in 1946, Leila Al Solh is the youn ...

Industry ministers of Lebanon Independent politicians in Lebanon Lebanese Muslims Living people Politicians from Beirut Saint Joseph University alumni Women government ministers of Lebanon Children of prime ministers of Lebanon Lebanese people of Syrian descent