Ahmad Karami (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: أحمد كرامي) (29 August 1944 – 5 July 2020) was a Sunni Lebanese politician and

minister of state Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

in the cabinet of

Najib Mikati Najib Azmi Mikati ( ar, نجيب عزمي ميقاتي; born 24 November 1955) is a Lebanese politician and businessman, and three-time Prime Minister of Lebanon whose current term began in September 2021. He also serves as the acting President ...

Early life and education

Karami was from a powerful political family based in

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

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

Prime Ministers A prime minister, premier 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. Under those systems, a prime minister is no ...

Rashid Karami Rashid Abdul Hamid Karami (30 December 1921 – 1 June 1987) ( ar, رشيد كرامي) 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 Lebane ...

and Omar Karami 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) ( ar, جـامعة بيروت العربية) is a Lebanese private university located in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded by the Lebanese Waqf El-Bir wal Ihsan Society in 1960. The University attained the Internation ...

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 H ...

of Tripoli from 1973 to 1991. Then he became the deputy of Tripoli following the general election in 1996 and the 2009 general elections. He was elected on

Saad Hariri Saad El-Din Rafik Al-Hariri ( ar, سعد الدين رفيق الحريري, translit=Saʿd ad-Dīn Rafīq al-Ḥarīrī; born 18 April 1970) is a Lebanese-Saudi politician who served as the prime minister of Lebanon from 2009 to 2011 and 2016 ...

's list in the 2009 elections. Karami supported the premiership of Najib Mikati in 2011 after the cabinet of Saad Hariri collapsed. Karami was appointed minister of state in June 2011 to the cabinet 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 members in the cabinet.

Personal life

Karami married Zeina Al Nabhani and had three children. He died on 5 July 2020 at the hospital of American University of Beirut following a sudden illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karami, Ahmad 1944 births 2020 deaths Beirut Arab University alumni Government ministers of Lebanon Lebanese Sunni Muslims Members of the Parliament of Lebanon People from Tripoli, Lebanon