This is a list of Arab Americans. It includes prominent and notable
Arab American
Arab Americans ( ar, عَرَبٌ أَمْرِيكِا or ) are Americans of Arab ancestry. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World.
According to the Arab American Inst ...
individuals from various fields, such as business, science, entertainment, sports and fine arts.
Academia
Science
*
Elias J. Corey
Elias James Corey (born July 12, 1928) is an American organic chemist. In 1990, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his development of the theory and methodology of organic synthesis", specifically retrosynthetic analysis. Regarded by many ...
,
Lebanese, organic chemistry professor at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, winner of the 1990
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...
*
Ahmed Zewail
Ahmed Hassan Zewail ( ar, أحمد حسن زويل, ; February 26, 1946 – August 2, 2016) was an Egyptian-American chemist, known as the "father of femtochemistry". He was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry ...
,
Damanhour
Damanhur ( ar, دمنهور ', ; Egyptian: ''Dmỉ-n-Ḥr.w''; cop, ⲡϯⲙⲓⲛ̀ϩⲱⲣ '; ; grc, Ἑρμοῦ πόλις μικρά ') is a city in Lower Egypt, and the capital of the Beheira Governorate. It is located northwest of Cai ...
-born Egyptian, scientist, known as the "father of
femtochemistry
Femtochemistry is the area of physical chemistry that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales (approximately 10−15 seconds or one femtosecond, hence the name) in order to study the very act of atoms within molecules (reactants ...
", winner of the 1999
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...
*
Michael E. DeBakey, Lebanese, cardiovascular surgeon and researcher, 1963
Lasker Award
The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1945 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, which was f ...
laureate
*
Omar M. Yaghi,
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
-born Jordanian,
reticular chemistry pioneer; winner of the 2018
Wolf Prize in Chemistry
The Wolf Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and Arts.
Laure ...
*
Mostafa El-Sayed
Mostafa A. El-Sayed (Arabic: مصطفى السيد) is an Egyptian-American physical chemist, a leading nanoscience researcher, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a US National Medal of Science laureate. He was the editor-in-chief ...
, Egyptian, US
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...
laureate; nanoscience researcher; known for the
spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...
rule named after him, the
El-Sayed rule
Mostafa A. El-Sayed (Arabic: مصطفى السيد) is an Egyptian-American physical chemist, a leading nanoscience researcher, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a US National Medal of Science laureate. He was the editor-in-chief ...
*
Riad Barmada
Riad Barmada ( ar, رياض برمدا; July 26, 1929 – January 10, 2014), a Syrian-American orthopaedic surgeon and professor. Barmada was the head of orthopedics at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1984 to 1998 and served as the p ...
, Aleppo - born Syrian , served as the president of the Illinois Orthopedic Society.
*
Eman Ghoneim, Minea-born Egyptian, space scientist in desert regions
*
Farouk El-Baz
Farouk El-Baz ( arz, فاروق الباز, ''Pronunciation'': ) (born January 2, 1938) is an Egyptian American space scientist and geologist, who worked with NASA in the scientific exploration of the Moon and the planning of the Apollo program. ...
,
Zagazig
Zagazig ( ar, الزقازيق ' , rural: ) is a city in Lower Egypt. Situated in the eastern part of the Nile delta, it is the capital of the governorate of Sharqia.
It is located on the Muweis Canal and is a hub of the corn and cott ...
-born Egyptian, space scientist who worked with
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon
*
Huda Zoghbi
Huda Yahya Zoghbi (Arabic: هدى الهبري الزغبي ''Hudā al-Hibrī az-Zughbī''; born 1954), born Huda El-Hibri, is a Lebanese-born American geneticist, and a professor at the Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neuroscience ...
,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, physician and medical researcher who discovered the genetic cause of the
Rett syndrome
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a genetic disorder that typically becomes apparent after 6–18 months of age and almost exclusively in females. Symptoms include impairments in language and coordination, and repetitive movements. Those affected often h ...
*
Huda Akil
Huda Akil (born 1945) is a Syrian–American neuroscientist whose pioneering research has contributed to the understanding of the neurobiology of emotions, including pain, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Akil and colleagues are best know ...
,
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
-born Syrian, neuroscientist and medical researcher
*
Yasmine Belkaid
Yasmine Belkaid ( ar, ياسمين بلقايد; born 1968) is an Algerian immunologist and senior investigator at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She is b ...
,
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
-born Algerian, immunologist, professor and a senior investigator at the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NIAID's ...
*
Mounir Laroussi
Mounir Laroussi (born August 9, 1955) is a Tunisian-American scientist. He is known for his work in plasma science, especially low temperature plasmas and their biomedical applications.
Biography
Early life
Mounir Laroussi was born and rais ...
,
Sfax
Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterrane ...
-born Tunisian, plasma physicist, pioneer of
plasma medicine
Plasma medicine is an emerging field that combines plasma physics, life sciences and clinical medicine. It is being studied in disinfection, healing, and cancer. Most of the research is in vitro and in animal models.
It uses ionized gas (physic ...
*
Hunein Maassab,
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
-born Syrian, professor of
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
and the inventor of the
live attenuated influenza vaccine
Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is a type of influenza vaccine in the form of a nasal spray that is recommended for the prevention of influenza.
It is an attenuated vaccine, unlike most influenza vaccines, which are inactivated vaccin ...
*
Joanne Chory
Joanne Chory is an American plant biologist and geneticist. Chory is a professor and director of the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical I ...
, Lebanese, plant biologist and geneticist
*
Anthony Atala
Anthony Atala, M.D., (born July 14, 1958) is an American bioengineer, urologist, and pediatric surgeon. He is the W.H. Boyce professor of urology, the founding director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the chair of th ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
vian-born Lebanese, Director of the
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is a research institute affiliated with Wake Forest School of Medicine and located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
WFIRM's goal is to apply the principles of regenerative ...
*
Noureddine Melikechi,
Thénia
Thénia (), sometimes written as ''Thenia'', with around 40,000 inhabitants, is the chief town in the daïra of the same name, in the wilaya of Boumerdès, in northern Algeria. Historically, the name is a contraction of ''Theniet Beni Aicha'' (ث ...
-born, Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physicist, member of the
Mars Science Laboratory
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed ''Curiosity (rover), Curiosity'', a Mars rover, in Gale (crater), Gale Crater on August ...
*
Michel T. Halbouty Michel Thomas Halbouty (21 June 1909 in Beaumont, Texas – 6 November 2004 in Houston, Texas) was an American geologist, petroleum engineer, and wildcatter. Credited with discovering more than 50 oil and gas fields, he twice declared bankruptcy ...
, Lebanese, geologist and geophysicist; pioneer in oil field research
*
Adah al-Mutairi Saudi, inventor and scholar in nanotechnology and nanomedicine
*
M. Amin Arnaout
M. Amin Arnaout is a Lebanese physician-scientist and nephrologist best known for seminal discoveries in the biology and structure of integrin receptors. He is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Physician, former Chief of Nephro ...
,
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
-born Lebanese, nephrologist and biologist
*
Essam Heggy,
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
n-born Egyptian,
Planetary scientist
Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their ...
*
Shadia Habbal,
Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
-born Syrian, astronomer and physicist specialized in
Space physics
*
Miriam Merad,
French-born Algerian, immunologist
Engineering/Computer Science
*
Mohamed Atalla,
Port Said
Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...
-born Egyptian, engineer, inventor of
MOSFET
The metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET) is a type of field-effect transistor (FET), most commonly fabricated by the controlled oxidation of silicon. It has an insulated gate, the voltage of which d ...
(metal-oxide-semiconductor
field-effect transistor
The field-effect transistor (FET) is a type of transistor that uses an electric field to control the flow of current in a semiconductor. FETs (JFETs or MOSFETs) are devices with three terminals: ''source'', ''gate'', and ''drain''. FETs contro ...
), pioneer in
silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic tab ...
semiconductors
A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical resistivity and conductivity, electrical conductivity value falling between that of a electrical conductor, conductor, such as copper, and an insulator (electricity), insulator, such as glas ...
and
security systems
Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercive change) caused by others, by restraining the freedom of others to act. Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be of persons and social ...
, founder of
Atalla Corporation
Utimaco Atalla, founded as Atalla Technovation and formerly known as Atalla Corporation or HP Atalla, is a security vendor, active in the market segments of data security and cryptography. Atalla provides government-grade end-to-end products in ...
*
Charles Elachi
Charles Elachi (born April 18, 1947
. ''Cedars Network''. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.) is a ...
,
Rayak
Rayaq - Haouch Hala ( ar, رياق), also romanized Rayak, is a Lebanese town in the Beqaa Governorate near the city of Zahlé. In the early 20th century and up to 1975 and the outbreak of the civil war, it was Lebanon's most important railway ...
-born Lebanese, professor of electrical engineering and planetary science at
Caltech
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
and the former director of the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States.
Founded in the 1930s by Caltech researchers, JPL is owned by NASA an ...
*
Fawwaz T. Ulaby
Fawwaz T. Ulaby ( ar, فواز علبي) is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and formerly the Founding Provost and Executive Vice President of the King Abdullah ...
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
-born Syrian, professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, former Vice President of Research for the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
; first Arab-American winner of the
IEEE Edison Medal
The IEEE Edison Medal is presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering, or the electrical arts." It is the oldest medal in this fi ...
*
Taher ElGamal
Taher Elgamal (Arabic: طاهر الجمل) (born 18 August 1955) is an Egyptian cryptographer and entrepreneur. He has served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Security at Salesforce since 2013. Prior to that, he was the founder and CEO ...
,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
-born Egyptian, cryptographer, inventor of the
ElGamal discrete log cryptosystem and the
ElGamal signature scheme
The ElGamal signature scheme is a digital signature scheme which is based on the difficulty of computing discrete logarithms. It was described by Taher Elgamal in 1985. (conference version appeared in CRYPTO'84, pp. 10–18)
The ElGamal signature ...
*
Ali H. Nayfeh
Ali Hasan Nayfeh (21 December 1933 27 March 2017) was a Palestinian- Jordanian mathematician, mechanical engineer and physicist. He is regarded as the most influential scholar and scientist in the area of applied nonlinear dynamics in mechanics ...
,
Tulkarm
Tulkarm, Tulkarem or Tull Keram ( ar, طولكرم, ''Ṭūlkarm'') is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located in the Tulkarm Governorate of the State of Palestine. The Israeli city of Netanya is to the west, and the Palestinian cities of N ...
-born Palestinian, mechanical engineer, the 2014 recipient of
Benjamin Franklin Medal in mechanical engineering
*
Dina Katabi
Dina Katabi ( ar, دينا قَتابي) is the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and the director of the MIT Wireless Center.
Academic biography
Katabi received a bachelor's degree from the ...
,
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
-born Syrian, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
and the director of the MIT Wireless Center.
*
Abbas El Gamal
Abbas El Gamal (born May 30, 1950) is an Egyptian-American electrical engineer, educator and entrepreneur. He is best known for his contributions to network information theory, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and CMOS imaging sensors a ...
,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
-born Egyptian, electrical engineer, educator and entrepreneur, the recipient of the 2012
Claude E. Shannon Award
*
John Makhoul
John Makhoul is a Lebanese-American computer scientist who works in the field of speech and language processing. Dr. Makhoul's work on linear predictive coding was used in the establishment of the Network Voice Protocol, which enabled the trans ...
,
Deirmimas-born Lebanese, computer scientist who works in the field of speech and language processing.
*
Jerrier A. Haddad
Jerrier A. "Jerry" Haddad (July 17, 1922 – March 31, 2017) was an American pioneer computer engineer who was the co-developer and designer of the IBM 701 series which was IBM's first commercial scientific computer and its first mass-produced ...
, Syrian-Lebanese, computer engineer who worked with
IBM.
*
Oussama Khatib
Oussama Khatib ( ar, أسامة الخطيب) is a roboticist and a professor of computer science at Stanford University, and a Fellow of the IEEE. He is credited with seminal work in areas ranging from robot motion planning and control, human- ...
,
Aleppo
)), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black".
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, image_map1 =
...
-born Syrian, roboticist and a professor of computer science
*
Elias Zerhouni
Elias Zerhouni (in Arabic إلياس زرهوني) (born April 12, 1951) is an Algerian-born American scientist, radiologist and biomedical engineer.
He spent much of his career on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, ...
,
Nedroma
Nedroma ( ar, ندرومة) is a city in Tlemcen Province, in northwestern Algeria, about from Tlemcen. Once the capital of Trara, it was built on the ruins of a Berber town by Abd al-Mu'min the Almohad caliph. It has a great Islamic history, ...
-born Algerian, former director of the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
*
Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah
Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah ( ar, حسن كامل الصباح; August 16, 1894March 31, 1935) was a Lebanese electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and inventor. He was born in Nabatieh, Lebanon.
Biography
He studied at the Ameri ...
,
Nabatieh
Nabatieh ( ar, النبطية, links=no, ', ), or Nabatîyé (), is the city of the Nabatieh Governorate, in southern Lebanon. The population is not accurately known as no census has been taken in Lebanon since the 1930s; estimates range from ...
-born Lebanese, technology innovator. He received 43 patents.
*
Mohammad S. Obaidat
Mohammad Salameh Obaidat is a Jordanian American Academic/ Computer Engineer/computer Scientist and Founding Dean of College of Computing and Informatics at the University of Sharjah, UAE. He is the Past President & Chair of Board of Directors ...
,
Irbid
Irbid ( ar, إِربِد), known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela (Άρβηλα in Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek), is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in ...
-born Jordanian, computer science/engineering academic and scholar
*
Charbel Farhat
Charbel Farhat is the Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures in the School of Engineering and the inaugural James and Anna Marie Spilker Chair of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, at Stanford University. He is also Profe ...
, Lebanese-American, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures in the School of Engineering and inaugural James and Anna Marie Spilker Chair of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
; Member of the
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...
(US); Member of the
Royal Academy of Engineering
The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering.
The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...
(UK); and Member of the
Lebanese Academy of Sciences
The Lebanese Academy of Sciences, known officially by its French name Académie des Sciences du Liban (ASL), is a learned society dedicated to promoting the growth, invigoration, and dissemination of the sciences in Lebanon, and to fostering a wo ...
*
Hany Farid
Hany Farid is an American university professor who specializes in the analysis of digital images and the detection of digitally manipulated images such as deepfakes. Farid serves as Dean and Head of School for the UC Berkeley School of Informatio ...
, Egyptian, Professor of computer science at
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
, pioneer in
Digital forensics
Digital forensics (sometimes known as digital forensic science) is a branch of forensic science encompassing the recovery, investigation, examination and analysis of material found in digital devices, often in relation to mobile devices and co ...
*
Ahmed Tewfik,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
-born Egyptian, electrical engineer, Professor and college administrator
*
Munther A. Dahleh
Munther A. Dahleh (born 1962) is the William Coolidge Professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS).
Dahleh is internatio ...
,
Tulkarm
Tulkarm, Tulkarem or Tull Keram ( ar, طولكرم, ''Ṭūlkarm'') is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located in the Tulkarm Governorate of the State of Palestine. The Israeli city of Netanya is to the west, and the Palestinian cities of N ...
-born Palestinian, Professor and Director at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
Humanities
*
Ismail al-Faruqi
Ismaʻīl Rājī al-Fārūqī ( ar, إسماعيل راجي الفاروقي January 1, 1921 – May 27, 1986) was a Palestinian- American philosopher. He spent several years at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, then taught at several universitie ...
,
Jaffa
Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...
-born Palestinian, philosopher, professor
*
Fouad Ajami
Fouad A. Ajami ( ar, فؤاد عجمي; September 18, 1945 – June 22, 2014) was a MacArthur Fellowship winning, Lebanese-born American university professor and writer on Middle Eastern issues. He was a senior fellow at Stanford University's Ho ...
,
Arnoun
Arnoun ( ar, ارنون, Syriac-Aramaic: ܐܪܢܘܢ) is a majority Lebanese Shia village south-east of Nabatiyeh, in Nabatiyeh Governorate, southern Lebanon. The village is located approximately from the Israeli border. The village is approxim ...
-born Lebanese, Professor of International Relations
*
Saddeka Arebi,
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 ...
-born Libyan, professor of anthropology at
UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...
*
Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, Sudanese, executive director of the
Fiqh Council of North America
*
Samih Farsoun Samih K. Farsoun, (1937 in Haifa, Palestine – June 9, 2005) was a professor emeritus of sociology at American University, where he taught for thirty years until his retirement in 2003. He graduated from Hamilton College in New York. He received ...
,
Haifa
Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
-born Palestinian, sociology professor at the American University
*
Philip Khuri Hitti
Philip Khuri Hitti (Arabic: فيليب خوري حتي), (Shimlan 22 June 1886 – Princeton 24 December 1978) was a Lebanese-American professor and scholar at Princeton and Harvard University, and authority on Arab and Middle Eastern history, Isl ...
,
Shimlan-born Lebanese, historian of Arab culture and history
*
Philip S. Khoury, Lebanese, Ford International Professor of History and Associate Provost at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
*
Laura Nader
Laura Nader (born February 16, 1930) is an American anthropologist. She has been a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley since 1960. She was the first woman to receive a tenure-track position in the department. She i ...
, cultural anthropologist
*
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Said (; , ; 1 November 1935 – 24 September 2003) was a Palestinian-American professor of literature at Columbia University, a public intellectual, and a founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies.Robert Young, ''White ...
,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
-born Palestinian, literary theorist and former professor at Columbia University
*
Nada Shabout
Nada M. Shabout (born 8 January 1962, Glasgow, Scotland) is an American art historian specializing in modern Iraqi art. She has been a professor of art history at the University of North Texas since 2002. She is the president and co-founding bo ...
,
UK-born Palestinian-Iraqi, Professor of Art History at
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
*
Naseer Aruri
Naseer H. Aruri ( ar, نصير عاروري, 7 January 1934 – 10 February 2015) was an American scholar-activist and expert on Middle East politics, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and human rights. Aruri was Chancellor Professor (Emerit ...
,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
-born Palestinian ,Chancellor Professor of Political Science at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
*
Nadia Abu El Haj
Nadia Abu El-Haj ( ar, نادية أبو الحاج; born 1962) is an American academic with a PhD in anthropology from Duke University. She is a professor of anthropology at Barnard College, Columbia University.
The author of '' Facts on the G ...
, Palestinian, Author & Professor of Anthropology at
Barnard College
Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...
and subject of a major tenure controversy case at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
*
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod
Ibrahim Abu-Lughod ( ar, إبراهيم أبو لغد, February 15, 1929 – May 23, 2001) was a Palestinian (later American) academic, characterised by Edward Said as "Palestine's foremost academic and intellectual"Said 2001 and by Rashid Khalid ...
,
Jaffa
Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...
-born Palestinian, former Director of Graduate Studies at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, father of
Lila Abu-Lughod
Lila Abu-Lughod (born 1952) is a Palestinian-American anthropologist. She is the Joseph L. Buttenweiser Professor of Social Science in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University in New York City. She specializes in ethnographic res ...
*
Lila Abu-Lughod
Lila Abu-Lughod (born 1952) is a Palestinian-American anthropologist. She is the Joseph L. Buttenweiser Professor of Social Science in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University in New York City. She specializes in ethnographic res ...
, Palestinian, professor of Anthropology and Women's and Gender Studies at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
*
Leila Farsakh,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
-born Palestinian, Professor of Political Science at the
University of Massachusetts, Boston
The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massac ...
*
Samih Farsoun Samih K. Farsoun, (1937 in Haifa, Palestine – June 9, 2005) was a professor emeritus of sociology at American University, where he taught for thirty years until his retirement in 2003. He graduated from Hamilton College in New York. He received ...
, Professor of sociology at
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
and editor of
Arab Studies Quarterly
''Arab Studies Quarterly'' (''ASQ'') is an English-language academic journal devoted to Arabist studies. It was established in 1979 by the late Professors Edward Said and Ibrahim Abu-Lughod. They envisioned the journal to be a platform for academic ...
*
Nadia Hijab
Nadia Hijab ( ar, نادية حجاب, Nādya ḥijāb, ), is a Palestinian political analyst, author, and journalist who comments frequently on human rights and the Middle East, and the situation of the Palestinians in particular.
Biography
Hij ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
-born Palestinian, Journalist with ''Middle East Magazine'' and Senior Fellow at the
Institute for Palestine Studies
The Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS) is the oldest independent nonprofit public service research institute in the Arab world. It was established and incorporated in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1963 and has since served as a model for other such inst ...
*
Rashid Khalidi
Rashid Ismail Khalidi (; born 1948) is an American historian of the Middle East and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. He served as editor of the '' Journal of Palestine Studies'' from 2002 until 2020, whe ...
, Palestinian, Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University
*
Joseph Massad
Joseph Andoni Massad ( ar, جوزيف مسعد; born 1963) is a Jordanian academic specializing in Middle Eastern studies, who serves as Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
-born Palestinian, Professor at Columbia University known for his work on
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
and sexuality in the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
*
Hisham Sharabi Hisham Sharabi ( ar, هشام الشرابي) (1927 Jaffa, Mandatory Palestine – 2005 Beirut, Lebanon) was Professor Emeritus of History and Umar al-Mukhtar Chair of Arab Culture at Georgetown University, where he was a specialist in European int ...
,
Jaffa
Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...
-born Palestinian, Professor Emeritus of History
*
Umar al-Mukhtar
Omar al-Mukhṭār Muḥammad bin Farḥāṭ al-Manifī ( ar, عُمَر الْمُخْتَار مُحَمَّد بِن فَرْحَات الْمَنِفِي ; 20 August 1858 – 16 September 1931), called The Lion of the Desert, known among ...
,
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
-born Libyan, Chair of Arab Culture at
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
*
Rosemarie Said Zahlan,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
-born Palestinian, historian, journalist & author, sister of
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Said (; , ; 1 November 1935 – 24 September 2003) was a Palestinian-American professor of literature at Columbia University, a public intellectual, and a founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies.Robert Young, ''White ...
*
Steven Salaita
Steven Salaita (born 1975) is an American scholar, author and public speaker. He became the center of a controversy when the University of Illinois did not hire him as a professor of American Indian Studies following objections to a series of twe ...
, Jordanian-Palestinian, former Professor of English at
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
, winner of Myers Outstanding Book Award for the Study of Human Rights 2007
*
Majid Khadduri
Majid Khadduri (Arabic: مجيد خدوري) (September 27, 1909 – January 25, 2007) was an Iraqi–born academic. He was founder of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Middle East Studies program, a division of Johns ...
,
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
-born Iraqi, academic and founder of the
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., United States, with campuses in Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China. It is consistently ranked one of th ...
Middle East Studies
Middle Eastern studies (sometimes referred to as Near Eastern studies) is a name given to a number of academic programs associated with the study of the history, culture, politics, economies, and geography of the Middle East, an area that is gene ...
program
*
Noura Erakat
Noura Erakat (, ; ar, نورة صالح عريقات; born ) is an American activist, university professor, legal scholar, and human rights attorney. She is currently an associate professor at Rutgers University, specializing in international s ...
, Palestinian, human rights attorney and Assistant Professor at
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
*
Thomas L. Saaty, Assyrian-Iraqi, University Professor at the University of Pittsburgh
*
Nada Shabout
Nada M. Shabout (born 8 January 1962, Glasgow, Scotland) is an American art historian specializing in modern Iraqi art. She has been a professor of art history at the University of North Texas since 2002. She is the president and co-founding bo ...
, UK-born Palestinian-Iraqi, art historian and Assistant Professor at the
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
*
Ella Shohat
Ella Shohat (Hebrew: אלה חביבה שוחט; Arabic: إيلا حبيبة شوحيط) is a professor of cultural studies at New York University, where she teaches in the departments of Art & Public Policy and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies.
...
, professor, author and activist
*
Saadi Simawe,
Diwaniyah
Al Diwaniyah ( ar, ٱلدِّيوَانِيَّة ''ad-Dīwānīyah''), also spelt Diwaniya, is the capital city of Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate. In 2002 the population was estimated at 440,927.
Overview
The area around Al Diwaniyah, which i ...
-born Iraqi, translator, novelist and teacher
*
Donny George Youkhanna
Donny George Youkhanna (Arabic: , syr, ܕܘܢܝ ܓܘܪܓ ܝܘܚܢܢ) (October 23, 1950 – March 11, 2011) was an Iraqi-Assyrian archaeologist, anthropologist, author, curator, and scholar, and a visiting professor at Stony Brook Universi ...
,
Habbaniyah
Al Habbaniyah or Habbaniya ( ar, ٱلْحَبَّانِيَّة, ''al-Ḥabbānīyah'') is a city 85 km (53 mi) west of Baghdad in Al-Anbar Province, in central Iraq. A military airfield, RAF Habbaniya, was the site of a battle in 1941, during Wor ...
-born Iraqi, archaeologist, anthropologist, author, curator, and scholar, and a visiting professor at Stony Brook University in New York
*
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad (also known as Dean Ahmad) (born August 11, 1948) is a Palestinian American scholar and the president of the Minaret of Freedom Institute, a libertarian 501(c)(3) tax-exempt think-tank. He also is president of the Islamic-Americ ...
, teaches
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
,
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
, and
freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
at the
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...
; directs the
Minaret of Freedom Institute
The Minaret of Freedom Institute is an Islamic libertarian organization established in 1993 and based in Bethesda, Maryland. It is dedicated to educating both Muslims and non-Muslims.
*
Muhsin Mahdi Muḥsin Sayyid Mahdī al-Mashhadani ( ar, محسن مهدي; cited Muhsin S. Mahdi) (June 21, 1926 – July 9, 2007) was an Iraqi-American islamology, Islamologist and Arabist. He was a leading authority on Arabian history, philology, and philosop ...
,
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
-born Iraqi,
Islamologist and
Arabist
An Arabist is someone, often but not always from outside the Arab world, who specialises in the study of the Arabic language and culture (usually including Arabic literature).
Origins
Arabists began in medieval Muslim Spain, which lay on the ...
.
*
Talal Asad
Talal Asad (born 1932) is a Saudi-born cultural anthropologist who is currently a professor of anthropology at the City University of New York Graduate Center. His prolific body of work mainly focuses on religiosity, Middle Eastern studies, po ...
,
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
-born Saudi, anthropologist at the
CUNY Graduate Center
The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY Graduate Center) is a public research institution and post-graduate university in New York City. Serving as the principal doctorate-granting institution of the Ci ...
.
University Presidents
*
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician. A Republican, Daniels served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. Since 2013, Daniels has been pr ...
, Syrian, President of
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
*
Donna Shalala
Donna Edna Shalala ( ; born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Presid ...
, Lebanese, President of the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
*
Joseph E. Aoun,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, president of
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
*
Robert Khayat
Robert Conrad Khayat (born April 18, 1938) was the 15th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi. He also played American football as a placekicker, guard, and center for Ole Miss and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washingt ...
, Lebanese, chancellor of the
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment.
...
*
Nido Qubein
Nido Qubein is a Lebanese American businessman and motivational speaker. He has been president of High Point University since 2005. He received his Associate's degree in business from Mount Olive College, his bachelor degree in human relations fr ...
, Lebanese, president of
High Point University
High Point University is a private university in High Point, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The university was founded as High Point College in 1924, and it became High Point University in October 1991. HPU of ...
*
David Adamany, Lebanese, former president of the
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
Business
*
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...
, half Syrian, head and co-founder of
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
*
Tony Fadell
Anthony Michael Fadell (born March 22, 1969) is an American engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs.
Fadell joined Apple Inc. in 20 ...
, Polish-Lebanese, product development manager at
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
, co-inventor of
iPod
The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about months after the Macintosh version of iTunes ...
and
iPhone
*
Mohamed A. El-Erian
Mohamed Aly El-Erian ( ar, محمد العريان, Muḥammad al-ʿAryān; born August 19, 1958) is an Egyptian-American economist and businessman. He is President of Queens' College, Cambridge, and chief economic adviser at Allianz, the corpor ...
, Egyptian, CEO and co-CIO of
PIMCO
PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC) is an American investment management firm focusing on active fixed income management worldwide. PIMCO manages investments in many asset classes such as fixed income, equities, commodities, asset ...
*
Alec Gores
Alec E. Gores (born 1953) is an American billionaire businessman who began making his fortune through leveraged buyouts of technology firms at the firm The Gores Group. He has also been instrumental in popularizing SPACs, beginning in the mid-2 ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
-born Lebanese-Palestinian, founder of Gores Group; on the ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' list of billionaires
*
Tom Gores
Tom Gores (born Tewfiq Georgious, ar, توفيق جورجيوس; July 31, 1964) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the founder of Platinum Equity, a private equity firm headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In June 2011, Gores a ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
-born Greek-Lebanese, founder and CEO of
Platinum Equity
Platinum Equity, LLC is an American private equity investment firm founded by Tom Gores in 1995. The firm focuses on leveraged buyout investments of established companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
History
Platinum Equity was founded in 199 ...
; on the ''Forbes'' list of billionaires (Palestinian-born of Lebanese descent)
*
Sam Gores,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
-born Lebanese-Palestinian, founder of talent agency Paradigm Agency; on the ''Forbes'' list of billionaires
*
Najeeb Halaby
Najeeb Elias "Jeeb" Halaby Jr. ( ar, نجيب إلياس حلبي; November 19, 1915 – July 2, 2003) was an American businessman, government official, aviator, and the father of Queen Noor of Jordan. He is known for making the first transconti ...
, Lebanese-Syrian, former head of
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
and CEO of
Pan-American Airlines, and father of
Queen Noor of Jordan
Noor Al-Hussein ( ar, نور الحسين; born Lisa Najeeb Halaby; August 23, 1951) is an American-born Jordanian philanthropist and activist who is the fourth wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan. She was Queen of Jordan from their marriag ...
*
Ray R. Irani Ray R. Irani (born January 13, 1935) is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Occidental Petroleum. He has worked at Occidental Petroleum for over 20 years, serving as a director since 1984, chief operating officer (president) from 198 ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
-born Palestinian, Chairman and CEO of
Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States, and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in the ...
*
Joseph Jacobs
Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian folklorist, translator, literary critic, social scientist, historian and writer of English literature who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore.
Jacob ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
-born Lebanese, founder of
Jacobs Engineering
Jacobs Solutions Inc. is an American international technical professional services firm. The company provides engineering, technical, professional and construction services, as well as scientific and specialty consulting for a broad range of cli ...
, one of the engineering firms in the
US
*
Charif Souki,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
-born Egyptian, co-founder and former CEO of
Cheniere Energy
Cheniere Energy, Inc. is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company headquartered in Houston, Texas. In February 2016 it became the first US company to export liquefied natural gas. As of 2018 it is a Fortune 500 company.
Company history
Initially ...
.
*
Amin Khoury, businessman and founder of
B/E Aerospace
B/E Aerospace, Inc. was a manufacturer of aircraft passenger cabin interior products for the commercial and business jet aircraft markets. B/E Aerospace had leading worldwide market shares in all of its major product lines and served virtually al ...
*Omar Hamoui, Syrian, founder and CEO of
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
AdMob
AdMob is a mobile advertising subsidiary of Google, originally founded by Omar Hamoui. The name AdMob is a portmanteau for "advertising on mobile". It was incorporated on April 10, 2006 while Hamoui was in business school at Wharton School. The ...
(Syrian)
*
Lucie Salhany, Jordanian-Lebanese, former Chairwoman of
Fox Broadcasting Company
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
.
*
Marcus Lemonis
Marcus Anthony Lemonis (born November 16, 1973) is a Lebanese-born American businessman, television personality and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Camping World, Good Sam Enterprises, Gander RV and The House Boardshop, i ...
,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese-Syrian, chairman and CEO of
Camping World
Camping World Holdings, Inc. is an American corporation specializing in selling recreational vehicles (RVs), recreational vehicle parts, and recreational vehicle service. They also sell supplies for camping. The company has its headquarters in L ...
,
Good Sam Enterprises
Good Sam Enterprises (formerly Affinity Group or AGI) is a provider of membership clubs, as well as subscription-based products, services and publications, targeted toward recreational vehicle and other outdoor enthusiasts in the United States a ...
and
Gander Outdoors
Gander RV, formerly Gander Mountain, Inc. and Gander Outdoors, Inc., headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation products and services.
History
Gander Mountain ...
.
*
George Joseph, Lebanese, founder of
Mercury Insurance Group.
*
Joe Jamail
Joseph Dahr Jamail Jr. (October 19, 1925 – December 23, 2015) was an American attorney and billionaire. The wealthiest practicing attorney in America, he was frequently referred to as the "King of Torts".
In 2011, his net worth was estimated b ...
, businessman who was the wealthiest practicing attorney in America.
*Allen Adham, Lebanese, co-founder of
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
.
*
Mario Kassar
Mario F. Kassar ( ar, ماريو قصار; born October 10, 1951) is a Lebanese film producer and industry executive who produced the first three films of the ''Rambo'' series, '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', '' Total Recall'', ''The Doors, Ange ...
,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese-Italian, formerly headed
Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that existed from 1976 to 1995, founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit ...
*
John J. Mack, Lebanese, CEO of investment bank
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...
*
Maloof family
The Maloof family is a prominent American family based in Las Vegas, Nevada, who are owners of numerous business properties in the Western United States. The original spelling of the family name is Maalouf. The family is of Lebanese descent via th ...
, Lebanese family who owns numerous business properties in the
Western United States
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
, majority owners of the
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
and the Palms Casino Hotel in
Paradise, Nevada
Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the fif ...
*
Sam Moore,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, founder and president of
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in West Bow, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1798, as the namesake of its founder. It is a subsidiary of HarperCollins, the publishing unit of News Corp. It describes itself as a "world leading publishe ...
, the largest worldwide distributor of the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
*
Manuel Moroun
Manuel "Matty" Moroun (June 5, 1927 – July 12, 2020) was an American billionaire businessman, most notable as the owner of the Ambassador Bridge international crossing connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. The bridge, which Moro ...
, Lebanese, owner of CenTra, Inc., the holding company which controls the
Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a tolled international suspension bridge across the Detroit River that connects Detroit, Michigan, United States, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1929, it is the busiest international border crossing in North ...
and
Michigan Central Depot
*
Jacques Nasser
Jacques Albert Nasser (Arabic: جاك نصر; born 12 December 1947) is a Lebanese Australian American business executive and philanthropist. Known for a management career at Ford Motor Company spanning several decades and continents, from 19 ...
,
Amyoun
Amioun ( ar, أميون, translit=Amyūn, gr, Αμιούν) is the capital of the predominantly Greek Orthodox Koura District (i.e. χώρα, "country" in Greek) in the north of Lebanon.
Etymology
The town of Amioun derives its name from the A ...
-born Lebanese, former president and CEO of
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
(Lebanese)
*
Efrem Harkham,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
-born Iraqi-American, founder and CEO of LuxeHotels, owner of
Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel
The Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel was a luxury hotel in the City of Beverly Hills, California. It was the only hotel located on Rodeo Drive, the main shopping street in Beverly Hills. It closed in 2020.
Location
The hotel building is located at 360 Nort ...
*
Farouk Shami
Farouk Shami is a Palestinian-American businessman and founder of the hair-care and spa products company, Farouk Systems located in Texas. , Ramallah-born Palestinian, founder of Farouk systems, a
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
-based company that manufactures hair care and spa products like CHI hair Irons
*
John Zogby
John J. Zogby (born September 3, 1948) is an American public opinion pollster, author, and public speaker. He is founder of the Zogby International poll, and he serves as a senior partner at John Zogby Strategies, a full-service marketing and p ...
, Lebanese, founder and current President/CEO of
Zogby International
John J. Zogby (born September 3, 1948) is an American public opinion pollster, author, and public speaker. He is founder of the Zogby International poll, and he serves as a senior partner at John Zogby Strategies, a full-service marketing and p ...
*
Sam Yagan
Sam Yagan (born April 10, 1977) is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of OkCupid. In 2013, he was named to ''TIME'' Magazine's '100 Most Influential People in the World' list. He is the Vice-Chairman of the e-dating ...
, Syrian, Entrepreneur and business executive, co-founder of
SparkNotes,
eDonkey,
OkCupid
OkCupid (often abbreviated as OKC, but officially OkC) is a U.S.-based, internationally operating online dating, friendship, and formerly also a social networking website and application. It features multiple-choice questions to match members. ...
, and Techstars Chicago, also CEO of
Match Group
Match Group, Inc. is an American internet and technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It owns and operates the largest global portfolio of popular online dating services including Tinder, Match.com, Meetic, OkCupid, Hinge, PlentyOfFi ...
, including
Tinder
Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...
*
Rana el Kaliouby
Rana el Kaliouby ( ar, رنا القليوبي; born 1978) is an Egyptian-American computer scientist and entrepreneur in the field of expression recognition research and technology development, which is a subset of facial recognition designed t ...
, Egyptian, computer scientist, CEO of
Affectiva
Affectiva is a software company that builds artificial intelligence. The company claims its AI understands human emotions, cognitive states, activities and the objects people use, by analyzing facial and vocal expressions. An offshoot of MIT Media ...
, Researcher at
MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from ...
, contributor to facial expression recognition research and technology development
*
Haim Saban
Haim Saban (; he, חיים סבן; born October 15, 1944) is an Israeli-American media proprietor, investor, and producer of records, film, and television. A businessman with interests in financial services, entertainment, and media, and an e ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
-born Israeli-American, television and
media proprietor
A media proprietor, media mogul or media tycoon refers to a entrepreneur who controls, through personal ownership or via a dominant position in any media-related company or enterprise, media consumed by many individuals. Those with significant co ...
*
Huda Kattan
Huda Kattan (born October 2, 1983) is an American makeup artist, beauty blogger, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of the cosmetics line Huda Beauty.
Early life
Huda Kattan was born on October 2, 1983, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as one of ...
, Iraqi, CEO of
Huda Beauty
*
Magid Abraham,
Mashghara-born Lebanese, market research expert and businessman
*
Nahim Abraham,
Kafarakab
Kafarakab ( ar, كفرعقاب) (also spelled Kfarakab or Kfar Akab and pronounced "Kfara-ab" in Arabic) is the francophone spelling of the name of a village in the mountains of Lebanon. In Arabic, it means the home (Kfar: كفر) of the hawk (Ak ...
-born Lebanese, businessman, philanthropist
*
Paul Orfalea
Paul Orfalea ( ar, بول أورفلي) (born November 28, 1947) is an American businessman who founded the copy-chain FedEx Office, Kinko's.
Orfalea was born in Los Angeles, California to Lebanese people, Lebanese parents.
He is currently a phi ...
, Lebanese, founder of
Kinko's
FedEx Office Print & Ship Services Inc. (doing business as FedEx Office; formerly FedEx Kinko's, and earlier simply Kinko's) is an American retail chain that provides an outlet for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground (including Home Delivery) shippin ...
*
Richard E. Rainwater, Lebanese, investor and fund manager
*
Robert Khuzami
Robert S. Khuzami (; born August 2, 1956) was the Deputy U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York until March 22, 2019. He previously was a United States federal prosecutor and Assistant United ...
, Lebanese, former director of the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
*
Thomas J. Barrack, Jr.
Thomas Joseph Barrack Jr. (born April 28, 1947) is an American private equity real estate investor and the founder and executive chairman of Colony Capital, a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT). Barrack has for decades been a cl ...
, Lebanese, businessman and founder of
Colony Capital
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. is a global digital infrastructure investment firm. The company owns, invests in and operates businesses such as cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Digita ...
Arts and entertainment
*
Sam Esmail
Sam Esmail (born September 17, 1977) is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer and director of the award-winning USA Network televi ...
, Egyptian, screenwriter, director and producer; creator of the television series
Mr. Robot
''Mr. Robot'' is an American drama thriller television series created by Sam Esmail for USA Network. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression and dissociati ...
*
Kevin Hanna, Syrian, writer, director and producer; creator of the film
The Clockwork Girl
''The Clockwork Girl'' is an all-ages/science fiction/fantasy comic series created by Sean O'Reilly and Kevin Hanna, that ran for five issues and was published in a collected edition for the first time in 2008.
''Clockwork Girl'' tells the ta ...
*
Callie Khouri
Carolyn Ann "Callie" Khouri (born November 27, 1957) is an American film and television screenwriter, producer, and director. In 1992, she won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for the film ''Thelma & Louise' ...
, Lebanese, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
*
William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel, ''The Exorcist'', and for his 1974 screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name. Blatty won ...
,Lebanese, Academy Award-winning screenwriter and writer
*
Nessa Diab
Nessa Diab, known mononymously as Nessa, is an American radio and TV personality and television host.
Early life and education
Nessa was born to an Egyptian father and mother. She has two brothers. She grew up in Southern California but her ...
, Egyptian, Radio and TV personality and television host
*
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri ( ar, سناء حمري; born November 19, 1977) is a Moroccan-American film, television, and music video director. She has directed music videos for musicians including Prince, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, and Sting. She is kn ...
,
Tangier
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...
-born Moroccan, music video and movie director; her films include the ''
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2''
*
Moustapha Akkad
Moustapha Al Akkad ( ar, مصطفى العقاد; July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005) was a Syrian-American film producer and director, best known for producing the original series of ''Halloween'' films and directing '' The Message'' and ' ...
, Syrian-American film producer and director
*
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio personality, who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably '' American Top 40''. He was the first actor to voice Nor ...
, Lebanese
Druze
The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...
, radio personality and voice actor, co-founder of
American Top 40
''American Top 40'' (previously abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally syndicated, independent song countdown radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs. The program is currently hosted by Ryan Seacr ...
franchise,
*
George Noory
George Ralph Noory (born June 4, 1950) is an American radio talk show host. Since January 2003, Noory has been the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show ''Coast to Coast AM''. The program is syndicated to hundreds of radio stations in ...
, Lebanese, radio broadcaster of late-night
paranormal
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Nota ...
-themed radio talk show ''
Coast to Coast AM
''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 19 ...
''
*
Mario Kassar
Mario F. Kassar ( ar, ماريو قصار; born October 10, 1951) is a Lebanese film producer and industry executive who produced the first three films of the ''Rambo'' series, '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', '' Total Recall'', ''The Doors, Ange ...
,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, film producer, founder of
Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that existed from 1976 to 1995, founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit ...
*
Jordan Nassar
Jordan Nassar (born 1985) is an American artist based in New York City. He primarily works with textiles, especially in creating works based on traditional Palestinian embroidery. Nassar also creates self-published artist's books and zines.
Ear ...
, half-Palestinian, visual artist working with Palestinian embroidery
*
Tom Shadyac
Thomas Peter Shadyac (born December 11, 1958) is an American director, screenwriter, producer, and author. The youngest joke-writer ever for comedian Bob Hope, Shadyac is widely known for writing and directing the comedy films ''Ace Ventura: Pe ...
, Lebanese, director, screenwriter and producer
*
Tony Thomas, Lebanese, producer
*
Jehane Noujaim
Jehane Noujaim ( ar, جيهان نجيم, ) (born May 17, 1974) is an Academy Award nominated American documentary film director best known for her films ''Control Room'', '' Startup.com'', '' Pangea Day'' and '' The Square.'' In 2019, she co-di ...
, Lebanese-Egyptian, documentary film director
*
Kerri Kasem
Kerri Kasem (born Carrie H. Kasem, July 12, 1972) is an American radio host. She hosted the nationally syndicated '' Sixx Sense'' and ''The Side Show Countdown With Nikki Sixx'' from February 2010 to April 2014. Kasem later became a judge on ''Who ...
, Lebanese, radio personality
*
Dan Jbara
Dan Jbara was a television and film producer whose career focused primarily on
the reality television field in the U.S.. He also executive-produced the 2008
short film thriller ''Trunk'', starring Kyle Gallner and Zachery Ty Bryan, Zachery Bryan.
...
, Lebanese, television and film producer
*
Diane Rehm
Diane Rehm (; born Diane Aed; September 21, 1936) is an American journalist and the host of ''Diane Rehm: On My Mind'' podcast, produced at WAMU, which is licensed to American University in Washington, D.C.. She also hosts a monthly book club ser ...
,Syrian-Lebanese, host and executive producer of
The Diane Rehm Show
''The Diane Rehm Show'' was a call-in show based in the United States that aired nationally on NPR (National Public Radio). In October 2007, ''The Diane Rehm Show'' was named to the Audience Research Analysis list of the top ten most powerful nati ...
on
National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
*
Elie Samaha
Elie Samaha (Arabic: إيلي سماحة) is a film producer in Los Angeles, with production credits beginning with '' The Immortals'' in 1995. He has produced over 83 works, primarily films along with some video games. He produced '' The Boondo ...
,
Zahlé
Zahlé ( ar, زَحْلة) is the capital and the largest city of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 150,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli and the fourth largest taking the whole urban area (t ...
-born Lebanese, film producer
*
Sonya Tayeh
Sonya Tayeh is a New York City-based choreographer. She has worked nationally and internationally across the worlds of dance and theater.
She has earned several accolades for her work, including the Tony award for her choreography work on the Br ...
, award-winning dancer and choreographer.
*
Emile Kuri,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
-born Lebanese, Academy Award-winning art director
*
Zaida Ben-Yusuf
Zaida Ben-Yusuf (21 November 1869 – 27 September 1933) was an English-born, New York–based portrait photographer noted for her artistic portraits of wealthy, fashionable, and famous Americans during the turn of the 19th–20th century.
In 1 ...
,
UK-born Algerian,portrait photographer
*
Sam Maloof
Sam Maloof (January 24, 1916 – May 21, 2009)
''Press-Enterprise'', ...
, Lebanese furniture designer and woodworker
*
Rima Fakih
Rima Fakih Slaiby ( ar, ريما فقيه; born September 22, 1985) is a Lebanese American model, philanthropist, former professional wrestler and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2010. Having previously been crowned Miss Mic ...
,
Srifa-born Lebanese,
Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010 was the 59th Miss USA pageant, held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010 which was broadcast live on NBC. Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her succ ...
*
Remi Kanazi, Palestinian,
performance poet
*
Yousef Abu-Taleb
Yousef Abu-Taleb is an American actor. He was born in Arlington and raised in Virginia before moving to Los Angeles, California.
He is known for co-starring in the role of Daniel (Danielbeast), the longest-running character in the ''lonelygirl15 ...
, Jordanian, actor, ''
lonelygirl15
''Lonelygirl15'' is an American science fiction thriller web series created by Miles Beckett, Mesh Flinders, Greg Goodfried, and Amanda Goodfried. It was independently released on YouTube from June 16, 2006 to August 1, 2008, and was also brief ...
''; film producer
*
Adam Saleh
Adam Mohsin Yehya Saleh (Arabic: ادم محمد يحيى صالح ; born June 4, 1993) is an American YouTuber.
Early life
Adam Saleh was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on June 4, 1993, to Yemeni parents. He went to Manhattan Center For Sc ...
, Yemeni, YouTuber and singer
*
Cherien Dabis
Cherien Dabis (born 1976) ( ar, شيرين دعيبس) is an American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. She was named one of ''Variety'' magazine's ''10 Directors to Watch'' in 2009, and in 2022 was nominated for the Outstanding Dir ...
, Palestinian, film director
*
Yousef Erakat
Yousef Saleh Erakat (; born January 22, 1990), also known as FouseyTube or Fousey, is an American YouTuber who produces parodies, vlogs, comedy sketches and interviews. He also has two other channels, Fousey and DoseOfFousey.
Early life
Yousef E ...
, Palestinian, YouTuber and actor
*
Gabbie Hanna
Gabrielle Jeannette Hanna (born February 7, 1991) is an American Internet personality and singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence on the video platforms Vine and YouTube before releasing her debut single, " Out Loud", in 2017. Her debut extend ...
, Lebanese, comedian, actress, YouTube personality, singer
Actors
*
Tony Shalhoub
Anthony Marc Shalhoub ( ; born October 9, 1953), is an American actor. His accolades include five Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, six Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award nomination.
He played Adrian Monk in the USA Net ...
, Lebanese, three-time
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning television actor on ''
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
''
*
Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...
, Lebanese, Emmy Award-winning actor, founder of
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; father of Marlo Thomas
*
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her children's franchise '' Free to Be... You and ...
, Lebanese, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress
*
Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
, Egyptian, Emmy Award and Academy Award - winning actor
*
Demián Bichir
Demián Bichir Nájera (; born 1 August 1963) is a Mexican actor. After starring in telenovelas, he began to appear in Hollywood films. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in '' A Better Life''.
Personal life
Bic ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
-born Lebanese, Academy Award-nominated actor
*
Vic Tayback
Victor E. Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is known for his role as Mel Sharples in the film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) and the television series '' Alice'' (1976–1985). The latter earned him ...
, Syrian, two-time
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
-winning actor
*
Kristy McNichol
Christina Ann McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American former actress. She is known for such film roles as Angel in ''Little Darlings'', Polly in '' Only When I Laugh'', and Barbara Weston in the TV sitcom ''Empty Nest''. She won two Emmy ...
, Lebanese, two-time Emmy Award-winning actress
*
F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham (born Murray Abraham; October 24, 1939) is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he came to prominence for his acclaimed leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film '' Amadeus'' (1984) for which he wo ...
, Syrian-American, Academy Award-winning actor (Amadeus)
*
Tige Andrews
Tige is a masculine given name and nickname which may refer to:
People:
* Tige Andrews (1920-2007), American actor
* Tige Reynolds (1877–1931), American cartoonist
* Tige Rodgers, co-host of the ''Tige and Daniel Show'' American radio program
* ...
, Syrian, Emmy-nominated actor
*
Michael Ansara
Michael George Ansara (April 15, 1922 – July 31, 2013) was an American actor. He portrayed Cochise in the television series '' Broken Arrow'', Kane in the 1979–1981 series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', Commander Kang in ''Star Trek ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
-born, actor
*
Sofia Boutella
Sofia Boutella ( ar, صوفيا بوتلة; born 3 April 1982) is an Algerian actress, model, and dancer.
Early life
Boutella was born in the Bab El Oued district of Algiers, Algeria, to an architect mother and a jazz musician father, Safy Boute ...
, Algerian, actress, model, and Hip-hop dancer
*
George Nader
George Garfield Nader, Jr. (October 19, 1921 – February 4, 2002) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 to 1974, including ''Sins of Jezebel'' (1953), ''Congo Crossing'' (1956), and ''The Female Animal'' ...
, Lebanese, American film and television actor.
*
Jenna Dewan
Jenna Lee Dewan (; born December 3, 1980) is an American actress and dancer. She started her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and later worked with artists including Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Missy Elliott. She is known for her ...
, Lebanese, film/TV actress (''
Step Up'')
*
Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth Fadal (born September 7, 1973) is an American actress, conservationist, animal activist, model and poker player. A popular sex symbol and teen idol of the 1990s and 2000s, Elizabeth is best known for her roles in the films '' A ...
, Syrian-Lebanese, film actress (''
American Pie'', ''
Scary Movie
''Scary Movie'' is a 2000 American slasher parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans (who both also star), alongside Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Starring Anna Far ...
'')
*
Khrystyne Haje
Khrystyne Kamil Haje ( ; born December 21, 1968) is an Americans, American actress. She is known for her role as Simone Foster in the sitcom series ''Head of the Class''. After the series ended in 1991, she continued acting in both television an ...
, Lebanese, actress on ''
Head of the Class
''Head of the Class'' is an American sitcom television series that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network.
The series follows a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Millard Fillmor ...
''
*
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film ''Tomor ...
, Syrian, actress
*
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek Pinault ( , ; born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well as the ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
-born Lebanese, Mexican actress
*
Rowan Blanchard
Rowan Blanchard (born October 14, 2001) is an American actress and political activist. She was included on a list of ''Times list of Most Influential Teens in 2015. She first became known for starring as Rebecca Wilson in '' Spy Kids: All t ...
, Syrian, actress
*Anissa Jones,Lebanese, actress, ''Family Affair''
*Jamie Farr, Lebanese, character actor
*Catherine Keener, Lebanese, actress
*Wendie Malick, Egyptian, actress
*Alanna Masterson, half Lebanese, actress,
*Wentworth Miller,
UK-born Lebanese-Syrian, actor on ''Prison Break''
*Najee Mondalek,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
-born, actor/playwright
*Kathy Najimy, Lebanese, actress
*Gregory Jbara, Lebanese, television and film actor
*Alia Shawkat, half-Iraqi, actress on ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development''
*James Stacy, part-Lebanese, actor
*Paola Turbay, part-Lebanese, actress
*Vince Vaughn, part-Lebanese, actor
*Amy Yasbeck, part-Lebanese, actress
*Sammy Sheik, Alexandria-born Egyptian, actor
*Omar Metwally, half-Egyptian, actor
*Waleed Zuaiter, Palestinian, actor
*Mo Gallini, half-Lebanese, actor
*Michael Nouri, half-Iraqi, actor
*Haaz Sleiman,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, television and film actor
*Emeraude Toubia, Canada-born part-Lebanese, actress
*Edy Ganem, half-Lebanese, actress
*Nadia Dajani, half-Palestinian, actress
*Rose Abdoo, half-Lebanese, comedian, actress
*John Kassir, American actor, voice actor and comedian.
*Ramy Youssef, Egyptian, writer and star of ''Ramy (TV series), Ramy''
*Zeeko Zaki, Egyptian, actor
Comedians
*FaZe Rug, Brian Awadis, Iraqi, Youtuber and actor
*Jerry Seinfeld, half-Syrian Jewish, stand-up comedian, actor and writer
*Dean Obeidallah, half-Palestinian, stand-up comedian, writer
*Ahmed Ahmed, Helwan-born Egyptian, actor and comedian
*Mohammed Amer, Kuwait-born Palestinian, comedian, writer, actor; ''Rolling Stone'', ''Al Barnameg'', ''Allah Made Me Funny''
*Remy Munasifi, Iraqi-Lebanese, comedian also known as GoRemy
*Anwar Jibawi, Palestinian, YouTuber and comedian (Palestinian)
*Ronnie Khalil, Egyptian, stand-up comedian
*Aron Kader, half-Palestinian, stand-up comedian
*Maysoon Zayid, Palestinian, actress and comedian
*Ray Hanania, Palestinian, journalist and stand-up comedian
*Kassem G,
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
-born Jordanian-Egyptian, comedian, actor, and YouTuber
Reality show
*Farrah Abraham, part-Syrian, reality television personality, participated in 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom
*Tareq Salahi, half-Palestinian, television personality, appeared on The Real Housewives of D.C.
*Adrienne Maloof, half-Lebanese, businesswoman, television personality, cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
*Aja (entertainer), Egyptian-Moroccan, known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race
*Laith Al-Saadi, half-Iraqi, finalist on the 10th season of The Voice (American TV series), The Voice
*Tarek El Moussa, part-Moroccan, businessman, television personality, cast member of Flip or Flop
Fashion designers
*Joseph Abboud, Lebanese, menswear fashion designer and author
*Reem Acra,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, fashion designer
*Norma Kamali, Lebanese, fashion designer
*Rami Kashou, Palestinian, fashion designer
Models
*Gigi Hadid, half-Palestinian, supermodel and TV personality
*Bella Hadid, half-Palestinian, supermodel and TV personality
*Touriya Haoud, half-Moroccan, fashion model and actress
*Wafah Dufour, half-Saudi, fashion model and singer
*Jaclyn Stapp, Jordanian, beauty queen and fashion model
*Amy Fadhli, half-Iraqi, fitness model, actress and winner of the Fitness America National Champion 1996
Musicians
*Paula Abdul, half-Syrian Jewish (considers herself Jewish and not ethnically Arab), singer, musician, writer, actress, and television personality
*Paul Anka, Lebanese, singer/songwriter
*Frank Zappa, part-Lebanese, musician
*DJ Khaled, Palestinian, hip-hop DJ, rapper, music producer
*RedOne, Tetouan-born Moroccan, producer, songwriter, music executive
*Tiffany Darwish, Tiffany, born Tiffany Renee Darwish, half-Lebanese, singer
*Tiny Tim (musician), Tiny Tim (born Herbert Khaury), half-Lebanese, musician
*French Montana, Casablanca-born Moroccan, rapper
*Paul Jabara, Lebanese, actor, singer, songwriter
*Dick Dale, half-Lebanese, surf rock guitarist
*Andrew Bazzi, half-Lebanese, singer-songwriter
*Soraya (musician), Soraya, part-Lebanese, singer/songwriter
*G.E. Smith, half-Lebanese, lead guitarist in the band Hall & Oates; musical director of Saturday Night Live
*David Yazbek, half-Lebanese, songwriter and musician
*Raef (singer), Raef Haggag Egyptian, singer
*Stephan Said, half-Iraqi, singer, musician, writer and activist
*Kareem Salama, Maghrebi, country singer-songwriter and musician
*Alissa Musto, singer/pianist
*Kurtis Mantronik, Jamaica-born half-Syrian, born Kurtis el Khaleel, remixing, remixer and Record producer, producer, founding member of 1980s Old school hip hop, old school hip hop group Mantronix
*Malek Jandali, Germany-born Syrian, composer and pianist (Syrian-American)
*Ferras, half-Jordanian, singer-songwriter
*Fredwreck, Palestinian, hip hop producer
*Mohammed Fairouz, musician, composer
*Emilio Estefan, Cuba-born half-Lebanese, manager and producer of wife Gloria Estefan
*Ayad Al Adhamy, Bahraini-born, synthesizer player and multi-instrumentalist musician
*Jeff Becerra, death metal musician
*Ron Affif, half-Lebanese, jazz guitarist and musician
*Jack Barakat, Lebanese, All Time Low guitarist/songwriter
*Queen Naija, half-Yemeni, singer and songwriter
*Dave Hall, Quarter-Lebanese, singer/songwriter and composer
Literature
*Khalil Gibran, Bsharri-born Lebanese, writer, poet, and member of the New York Pen League; the third-best-selling poet of all time.
*
William Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel, ''The Exorcist'', and for his 1974 screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name. Blatty won ...
, Lebanese, writer best known for his 1971 horror novel ''The Exorcist (novel), The Exorcist''
*Laila Lalami, Rabat-born Moroccan, Pulitzer Prize-nominated novelist, journalist, essayist, and professor
*Mikhail Naimy, Baskinta-born Lebanese, member of the New York Pen League; well-known works include ''The Book of Mirdad'' and a biography of Khalil Gibran
*Ameen Rihani,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
-born Lebanese, "father of Arab American literature," member of the New York Pen League and author of ''The Book of Khalid,'' the first Arab American novel in English;
*
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Said (; , ; 1 November 1935 – 24 September 2003) was a Palestinian-American professor of literature at Columbia University, a public intellectual, and a founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies.Robert Young, ''White ...
,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
-born Palestinian, literary theorist, thinker, and the founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies.
*Stephen Adly Guirgis, half-Egyptian, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
*Hisham Matar, Libyan, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer
*Steven Naifeh, Iran-born half-Lebanese, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
*Raymond Khoury,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, screenwriter and novelist, best known as the author of the 2006 New York Times bestseller The Last Templar
*Saladin Ahmed, Lebanese-Egyptian, Eisner Award-winning comic book and fantasy writer
*Ted Naifeh, comic book writer and artist.
*Stephen Karam, Lebanese, Tony Awards, Tony Award-winning playwright and screenwriter
*Mona Simpson (novelist), Mona Simpson, half-Syrian, novelist; author of ''Anywhere but Here (novel), Anywhere but Here''
*Elmaz Abinader, Lebanese, poet, playwright, memoirist, writer
*Diana Abu-Jaber, half-Jordanian, novelist and professor, author of ''Arabian Jazz'' and ''Crescent''
*Nasib Arida,
Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
-born Syrian, poet and writer of the Mahjar movement.
*Abd al-Masih Haddad,
Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
-born Syrian, writer of the Mahjar movement and journalist
*Elia Abu Madi, Bikfaya-born Lebanese, poet, publisher and member of the Mahjar, New York Pen League
*Etel Adnan,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
-born half-Syrian, poet, essayist, and visual artist
*Suheir Hammad,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
-born Palestinian, poet, playwright, artist, Tony Award winner
*Samuel John Hazo, half-Lebanese, List of U.S. states' poets laureate, State Poet of Pennsylvania
*Lawrence Joseph, Syrian-Lebanese, poet
*Lisa Suhair Majaj, Palestinian, poet and literary scholar
*Khaled Mattawa, Benghazi-born Libyan, poet, recipient of an Academy of American Poets award
*Claire Messud, half-Algerian, author
*Naomi Shihab Nye, half-Palestinian, poet
*Abraham Rihbany, Shweir-born Lebanese, writer on politics and religion
*
Steven Salaita
Steven Salaita (born 1975) is an American scholar, author and public speaker. He became the center of a controversy when the University of Illinois did not hire him as a professor of American Indian Studies following objections to a series of twe ...
, Jordanian-Palestinian, expert on comparative literature and post-colonialism, writer, activist
*Ibtisam Barakat,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
-born Palestinian, award-winning writer and poet
*Reem Kassis,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
-born Palestinianwriter on food, culture and politics (Palestinian)
Media and journalism
*Helen Thomas, Lebanese, reporter, columnist, and White House correspondent
*Hala Gorani, Syrian, journalist and anchor of CNN's International Desk; The Markaz, Levantine Cultural Center
*Anthony Shadid, Lebanese, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, foreign correspondent
*Hoda Kotb, Egyptian, broadcast journalist and TV host on ''Dateline NBC'' and the ''Today (American TV program), Today Show''
*Jim Avila, half-Lebanese, correspondent for ABC News "20/20",
*Jamal Dajani,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
-born Palestinian television producer and Middle East analyst
*Paula Faris, half Lebanese television correspondent and personality
*Ray Hanania, Palestinian, award-winning journalist; Managing Editor of ''The Arab Daily News''; President and CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and political consultants
*
Diane Rehm
Diane Rehm (; born Diane Aed; September 21, 1936) is an American journalist and the host of ''Diane Rehm: On My Mind'' podcast, produced at WAMU, which is licensed to American University in Washington, D.C.. She also hosts a monthly book club ser ...
, American public radio talk show host
*Dena Takruri, Palestinian, journalist, on-air presenter, and producer
*Fawaz Gerges, Beirut-born Lebanese, ABC analyst and regular guest on "Oprah's Anti-war series"
*Yasmeen Sami Alamiri, Iraqi, journalist, first member of the White House foreign press pool
*Susan Chira, Syrian, journalist, former ''New York Times'' editor, foreign correspondent
*Lorraine Ali, Iraqi, reporter, editor, culture writer and music critic for ''Newsweek''
*Susie Gharib, co-anchor of the ''Nightly Business Report''
*Walid Phares, Batroun-born Lebanese, Fox News correspondent, Middle Eastern policy advisor to the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012, 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign and Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016, the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign
*Paul Ajlouny, Ramallah-born Palestinian, founder of the State of Palestine, Palestinian newspaper ''Al-Fajr''
*Daoud Kuttab, Bethlehem-born Palestinian, award-winning journalist; Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University
*Nasser Weddady Mauritanian, activist, Director of Civil Rights Outreach at American Islamic Congress
*Mona Eltahawy,
Port Said
Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...
-born Egyptian, freelance journalist
*Ayman Mohyeldin,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
-born Palestinian-Egyptian, journalist for NBC News
*Serena Shim, Lebanese, journalist for Press TV
Military
*John Abizaid, Lebanese
*Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, Iraqi-born, Specialist (rank), specialist in the United States Army who was kidnapped by insurgents in Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, on October 23, 2006
*Florent Groberg, France-born part-Algerian
*James Jabara, Lebanese
*George Joulwan, Lebanese
*Peter Mansoor
*Michael A. Monsoor, part-Lebanese, first Arab American Medal of Honor awardee
*Ray Hanania, Palestinian, Vietnam War, Vietnam Era Military Service, United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force
Politics
*James Abdnor, Lebanese, U.S. Senator (Republican Party (United States), R-South Dakota) (1981–1987)
*John Abizaid, Lebanese, retired general
*James Abourezk, Lebanese, U.S. Senator (D-South Dakota) (1973–1979)
*Spencer Abraham, Lebanese, U.S. Secretary of Energy (2001–2005) and U.S. Senator (R-Michigan) Secretary of Energy under Bush (1995–2001)
*Justin Amash, Syrian-Palestinian, U.S. Representative (R-Michigan) (2011–2021)
*Victor G. Atiyeh, Syrian-Lebanese, former Governor of Oregon (R) (1979–1987)
*John Baldacci, half-Lebanese, Governor of Maine (Democratic Party (United States), D) (2003–2011)
*Rosemary Barkett,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
-born Syrian, United States federal judge, U.S. Circuit Judge and the first woman List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice for the state of Florida
*Charles Boustany, Lebanese, U.S. Representative from Louisiana; cousin of Victoria Reggie Kennedy
*Charlie Crist, part-Lebanese, former Governor of Florida (R) (2007–2011), U.S. Congressman (D-Florida) (2017–present)
*Pat Danner, Lebanese, U.S. Congresswoman (D-Mo.) (1993–2001)
*Brigitte Gabriel, Marjayoun-born Lebanese, Israel lobby in the United States, pro-Israel activist and founder of the American Congress For Truth
*Philip Charles Habib, Lebanese, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Special Envoy to Ronald Reagan
*Lisa Halaby, Syrian-Lebanese,(a.k.a. Queen Noor), Queen-consort of
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
and wife of King Hussein of Jordan
*Darrell Issa, half-Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (R-California) (2001–)
*
Joe Jamail
Joseph Dahr Jamail Jr. (October 19, 1925 – December 23, 2015) was an American attorney and billionaire. The wealthiest practicing attorney in America, he was frequently referred to as the "King of Torts".
In 2011, his net worth was estimated b ...
, Lebanese, Renown American trial lawyer and billionaire, also known as the "King of Torts"
*James Jabara, Lebanese, colonel and Korean War flying ace
*Chris John (politician), Chris John, part-Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (D-Louisiana) (1997–2005)
*George Joulwan, part-Syrian, retired general, former NATO commander-in-chief
*George Kasem, Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (D-California) (1959-1961)
*Abraham Kazen, Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (D-Texas) (1967–1985)
*Jill Kelley,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, global advocate and American socialite
*Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Lebanese, attorney and widow of late Senator Ted Kennedy
*Johnny Khamis, Palestinian, Council member from San Jose, California, San Jose
*Ray LaHood, half-Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (R-Illinois) (1995–2009), U.S. Secretary of Transportation (2009–2013)
*Darin LaHood, part-Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (R-Illinois) (2015–), son of Ray Lahood
*George J. Mitchell, half-Lebanese, U.S. Senator (D-Maine) (1980–1995) US special envoy to the Middle East under the Presidency of Barack Obama, Obama administration, U.S. senator from Maine, Senate Majority Leader
*Ralph Nader, Lebanese, politician and consumer advocate, author, lecturer, and attorney, candidate for US Presidency
*Jimmy Naifeh, Lebanese, Speaker (politics), Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives (D)
*Mary Rose Oakar, Lebanese-Syrian, U.S. Congresswoman (D-Ohio) (1977–1993)
*Jeanine Pirro, Lebanese, former Westchester County, New York, Westchester County District Attorney and New York (state), New York Republican attorney general candidate
*Dina Powell,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
-born Egyptian, current U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy
*Edward Rafeedie, Palestinian, U.S. District Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Central District of California
*Nick Rahall, Lebanese, U.S. Congressman (D-West Virginia) (1977–2015)
*Selwa Roosevelt, Lebanese, former Chief of Protocol of the United States and wife of the late Archibald Bulloch Roosevelt, Jr., grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt
* Zainab Salbi, Baghdad-born Iraqi, co-founder and president of Women for Women International
*
Donna Shalala
Donna Edna Shalala ( ; born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Presid ...
, Lebanese, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (1993–2001)
*Chris Sununu, Lebanese-Palestinian, Governor of New Hampshire (R) (2017–), son of Governor John H. Sununu
*John E. Sununu, Lebanese-Palestinian, U.S. Senator (R-New Hampshire) (2003–2009)
*John H. Sununu, Cuba-born Lebanese-Palestinian, Governor of New Hampshire (R) (1983–1989) and White House Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff to George H. W. Bush
*Rashida Tlaib, Palestinian, U.S. Congresswoman (D-Michigan)(2016-)
*James Zogby, half-Lebanese, founder and president of the Arab American Institute
*Hady Amr,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, diplomat, founding director of Brookings Institution, Brookings Doha Center (Lebanese father)
Sports
*Toni Breidinger, half-Lebanese, NASCAR driver, First Female Arab in the sport
*Alaa Abdelnaby, Alexandria-born Egyptian, played for Duke and five years in the National Basketball Association, NBA
*Rony Seikaly,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
-born Lebanese, former NBA player, now DJ
*Abdel Nader, Alexandria-born Egyptian, player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association
*Salah Mejri, Oued Melliz-born Tunisian professional basketball for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association.
*Justin Abdelkader, part-Jordanian, ice hockey forward playing in National Hockey League, NHL
*Brandon Saad, half-Syrian, NHL player
*Patrick Maroon, Lebanese, ice hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL
* Johnny Manziel, part-Lebanese, National Football League, NFL player
*Oday Aboushi, Palestinian, NFL player
*Doug Flutie, half-Lebanese, NFL player
*Drew Haddad, Jordanian, NFL player
*Gibran Hamdan, half-Palestinian, NFL QB
*Bill George (American football player), Bill George, NFL player and Hall of Fame.
*Jeff George, Lebanese, NFL quarterback
*Rich Kotite, retired NFL tight end; NFL Head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets
* Abe Mickal – Talia, Lebanon, Talia-born Lebanese, football player for LSU Tigers football, LSU
* Matt Kalil – half-Lebanese, NFL player
* Ryan Kalil – NFL player (Lebanese father)
* Frank Kalil – former American football offensive lineman.
*Adam Shaheen (American football), Adam Shaheen, tight end from Ashland
*Joe Robbie, former owner and founder of the NFL, NFL's Miami Dolphins
*Rocco Baldelli professional baseball player (Syrian)
*John Jaha, MLB baseball player (Lebanese)
*Sam Khalifa, MLB baseball player (Egyptian)
*Joe Lahoud, MLB player for Boston and California (Lebanese descent)
*Mikie Mahtook, Major League Baseball outfielder (Lebanese descent)
*Damien Sandow, WWE wrestler (Lebanese)
*Sabu (wrestler), Sabu ECW wrestler (Lebanese mother)
*Skandor Akbar former professional wrestler (Lebanese)
*Ed Farhat Lebanese-American professional wrestler best known by his ring name The Sheik
*Adnan Al-Kaissie former professional wrestler and manager (Iraqi)
*Armando Estrada professional wrestler and manager ( Palestinian)
*Mojo Rawley professional wrestler currently signed to WWE ( Palestinian and Syrian)
*Dina Al-Sabah, professional figure competitor (Kuwaiti descent)
*Sarah Attar track and field athlete (Saudi Arabian father)
*Isra Girgrah, boxer
*Naseem Hamed, commonly known as Prince Naseem or Naz, former boxer, former featherweight world champion. (Yemeni parents)
*Jim Harrick, UCLA coach
*Omar Hassan (skateboarder), Omar Hassan, pro skateboarder
*Ahmed Kaddour professional boxer, from NBC show ''The Contender (TV series), The Contender'' (Lebanese)
*Hocine Khalfi, professional boxer, Algerian-American
*Khalid Khannouchi, athlete marathon runner (Moroccan)
* Amir Khillah, mixed martial artist and ''The Ultimate Fighter'' contestant (Egyptian)
*Gavin Maloof, businessman and owner of the Sacramento Kings
*George Maloof, Sr. businessman and former owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets
*Justin Meram, MLS player for Columbus Crew (Chaldo-Assaryian)
*Faryd Mondragón, MLS player for Philadelphia Union (Lebanese parents)
*Ramsey Nijem (Palestinian), mixed martial artist and UFC fighter
*Bobby Rahal (Lebanese ancestry)
*Soony Saad, MLS player (Lebanese descent)
*Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers (Lebanese Mother).
*Tarick Salmaci, professional boxer (Lebanese)
* Omar Sheika (Palestinian), professional boxer, four-time world title challenger
*Kelly Slater, professional surfer (Lebanese descent)
*Muhammad Halim, (Palestinian father)
* Sami Guediri, Footballer (Algerian Parents)
Others
* Naser Jason Abdo, former soldier convicted of planning an attack near Fort Hood
* Sami Al-Arian, professor guilty of conspiracy to contribute services to or for the benefit of a Specially Designated Terrorist organization (Palestinian)
*Anwar al-Awlaki, believed by US officials to be a recruiter involved in planning terrorist operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda (Yemeni)
*Nihad Awad, founding Executive Director of largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) (Palestinian)
*Rosemary Barkett, federal judge and first woman Justice and Chief Justice on the Florida Supreme Court (Syrian)
*2002 Tampa plane crash, Charles Bishop, suicide by plane crash in Tampa, Florida; grandson of Syrian immigrant
*Nidal Hasan, former soldier convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting (Palestinian descent)
*Hussein Ibish, writer, journalist, advocate for Arab causes in the United States (Lebanese)
*Candice Lightner, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, MADD (Lebanese mother)
[Lightner ]
"The press would never print that I was an Arab-American. So, when I started doing live media, I'd bring it up."
*Edward L. Masry, lawyer (Lebanese descent)
* Rasmea Odeh, convicted of immigration fraud, for concealing her arrest, conviction, and imprisonment for fatal terrorist bombing (Palestinian)
*Walid Rabah, publisher
*Raphael of Brooklyn, Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America; born Raphael Hawaweeny in Beirut of Damascene Syrian parents
*Karim Rashid (Lebanese descent)
*Zainab Salbi, co-founder and president of Women for Women International (Iraqi)
* Sirhan Sirhan, convicted murderer of Robert F. Kennedy (Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship)
*Nadya Suleman, "Octomom", father is Iraqi
*James Zogby, Arab-American civil rights activist (Arab-American Institute); brother of John (Lebanese descent)
*
John Zogby
John J. Zogby (born September 3, 1948) is an American public opinion pollster, author, and public speaker. He is founder of the Zogby International poll, and he serves as a senior partner at John Zogby Strategies, a full-service marketing and p ...
, pollster for
Zogby International
John J. Zogby (born September 3, 1948) is an American public opinion pollster, author, and public speaker. He is founder of the Zogby International poll, and he serves as a senior partner at John Zogby Strategies, a full-service marketing and p ...
(Lebanese descent)
See also
*List of Iraqi Americans
*List of Lebanese Americans
*List of Palestinian Americans
*Syrian Americans
*Yemeni-American
*List of Egyptian Americans
References
External links
I Want My Son to be Proudby Casey Kasem
Famous Arab Americans– by Elmaz Abinader
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arab Americans
Lists of American people by ethnic or national origin, Arab-American
Lists of Arabs, Americans
American people of Arab descent,
Lists of people by ethnicity, Arab