Hazem El Beblawi (also spelled ''el Beblawy''; ar, حازم عبد العزيز الببلاوى ; born 17 October 1936) is an Egyptian economist and politician who was interim
prime minister of Egypt
The prime minister of Egypt () is the head of the Egyptian government. A direct translation of the Arabic-language title is "Minister-President of Egypt" and "President of the Government". The Arabic title can also be translated as "President of ...
from 2013 until 1 March 2014. Previously he served as deputy prime minister and minister of finance in 2011. After the ouster of President
Mohammed Morsi
Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012 Cairo University
Cairo University ( ar, جامعة القاهرة, Jāmi‘a al-Qāhira), also known as the Egyptian University from 1908 to 1940, and King Fuad I University and Fu'ād al-Awwal University from 1940 to 1952, is Egypt's premier public university ...
and graduated in 1957. He obtained a postgraduate degree in economics from the
University of Grenoble
The Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA, French: meaning "''Grenoble Alps University''") is a public research university in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with about 60,000 students and over 3,000 resea ...
in France in 1961. He also holds a PhD in economics, which he received from the Pantheon-Sorbonne University in 1964.
Career
Beblawi began his career as a lecturer at the
University of Alexandria
Alexandria University ( ar, جامعة الإسكندرية) is a public university in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1938 as a satellite of Fouad University (the name of which was later changed to Cairo University), becoming an indepen ...
in 1965 and taught economy-related courses at several universities, including the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, until 1980. He became a manager at the
Industrial Bank of Kuwait The Industrial Bank of Kuwait was established in 1973 in the State of Kuwait by the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Kuwait and other large local industrial firms. Their primary objective is to nourish the local industry. Only 49.11% of the shar ...
in 1980, serving there until 1983. From 1983 to 1995, he was chairman and chief executive of the Export Development Bank in Egypt. Then he worked at the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA; ar, الإسكوا) is one of five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The role of the Commission is to promote e ...
(ESCWA) as executive secretary from 1995 to 2000. Next, he served as an advisor to the
Arab Monetary Fund
The Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) is a regional Arab organization, a working sub-organization of the Arab League. It was founded 1976, and has been operational since 1977.
History
The first president and director of the Arab Monetary Fund, from 1 ...
in
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
Egyptian Social Democratic Party
The Egyptian Social Democratic Party ( ar-at, الحزب المصرى الديمقراطى الاجتماعى, al-Ḥizb al-Maṣrī al-Dimuqrāṭī al-Ijtmāʿī, ) is a Social liberalism, social liberal and a Social democracy, social democrati ...
. He was appointed to the government as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, as well as minister of finance, in a
cabinet reshuffle
A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet, or when the Head of State changes the head of government and a number of ministers. They are more common in parlia ...
on 17 July 2011. He succeeded
Samir Radwan
Samir Radwan ( ar, سمير رضوان) is an Egyptian politician who served in the government of Egypt as Minister of Finance from January 2011 to July 2011. He is an economist with a liberal viewpoint, interested in employment and human devel ...
, who had served as finance minister since January 2011.The cabinet was headed by Prime Minister
Essam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf ( ar, عصام عبد العزيز شرف, ; born 1952) is an Egyptian academic who was the Prime Minister of Egypt from 3 March 2011 to 7 December 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.
Early li ...
.
After nearly four months in office, Beblawi resigned from office in October 2011 when
Coptic Christians
Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are ...
were killed by security forces. However, his resignation was not accepted by the ruling military council. Beblawi's tenure lasted until December 2011, when he was replaced by Momtaz Saeed as finance minister; Saeed had served as Beblawi's deputy at the Ministry of Finance.
Beblawi was one of the nominees for prime minister after the
2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January: E ...
, together with
Mohamed ElBaradei
Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei ( ar, محمد مصطفى البرادعي, Muḥammad Muṣṭafá al-Barādaʿī, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July ...
Mohammad Morsi
Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012 His cabinet was sworn in on 16 July 2013.
On 24 February 2014, Prime Minister Beblawi announced the resignation of his cabinet in a press conference.
Activities and views
Beblawi defended the military's crackdown on Morsi supporters after the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état as necessary and restrained in August 2013. He proposed the legal dissolution of the
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
on 17 August.
Works
Beblawi is the author of several books mostly about banking, finance, international trade and development. He also writes articles in a column for ''
Al Ahram
''Al-Ahram'' ( ar, الأهرام; ''The Pyramids''), founded on 5 August 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after '' al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya'' (''The Egyptian Events'', founded 1828). It is majori ...
''. His books include:
*
*
* Hazem Beblawi. (1984). ''The Arab Gulf Economy in a Turbulent Age''. London: Croom Helm.
Awards
*
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...
from France in 1992
* Commander, the order of Leopold II from Belgium in 1992
* Grand Officier,
National Order of the Cedar
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...