Munib Rashid al-Masri ( ar, منيب رشيد المصري), also known as the "Duke of Nablus", and "the Godfather"(b. 1934), is a
Palestinian
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
industrialist, philanthropist, and patriarch of the al-Masri family.
Relatives of his include his cousin,
Arab Bank
Arab Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East, founded in 1930 in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, as the first private sector financial institution in the Arab world. Headquartered today in Amman, Jordan, it serves cl ...
and
Paltel
Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel) Company ( ar, الاتصالات الفلسطينية شركة), listed in the Palestine Exchange (PEX) as PALTEL, is the largest employer (after the government) in Palestine, employing almost 3,000 people. ...
chairman
Sabih al-Masri, and nephews, developer
Bashar Masri, and Jordanian former prime minister
Taher al-Masri
Taher Nashat al-Masri ( ar, طاهر المصري; born March 5, 1942) is a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who served as the 28th Prime Minister of Jordan from 19 June 1991 to 21 November 1991. He opposed the invasion of Iraq but reportedly wan ...
.
One of
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (4 / 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat ( , ; ar, محمد ياسر عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني, Mu ...
's closest friends and supporters, al-Masri has served as a minister in the cabinet 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 has on multiple occasions declined both the presidency and the prime ministership of
Palestine.
Personal life
al-Masri was born in
Nablus in 1934. He attended the
an-Najah National University
An-Najah National University ( ar, جامعة النجاح الوطنية) is a Palestinian non-governmental public university governed by a board of trustees. It is located in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The university has 22,000 stude ...
and graduated from the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
in the United States. He was involved in establishing the
al-Quds University
Al-Quds University ( ar, جامعة القدس) is a Palestinian university with campuses in Jerusalem, Abu Dis, al-Bireh, and Hebron.
Overview
The idea of establishing an institution of higher learning in the outskirts of Jerusalem was con ...
.
His wealth is rooted in the oil and gas business, but much of his investments fall under th
Edgo Group his holding company which operates in contracting, industrial development, trading, distribution and representation, project development, operation and maintenance.
Between 1998 and 2000 he built a house which he named ''Beit Falasteen'' or "House of Palestine", near Nablus, inspired by
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...
's
Villa Capra "La Rotonda"
Villa La Rotonda is a Renaissance villa just outside Vicenza in northern Italy designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. The villa's correct name is Villa Almerico Capra Valmarana, but it is also known as "La Rotonda", "Villa Rot ...
.
He is married to Angela Masri and they have four sons, Rabih, Mazen, Omar and Leith, and two daughters
Mai Masri and Dina.
Peace efforts
Al-Masri has stated that he has been working for the last 40 years to bring about a long lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis. He would like to see an independent Palestine living in peace and harmony with Israel.
In May 2013, al-Masri and high-level Israeli high-tech entrepreneur
Yossi Vardi
Joseph "Yossi" Vardi ( he, יוסי ורדי, born September 2, 1942) is an Israeli entrepreneur and investor. He is one of Israel's first high-tech entrepreneurs. For over 47 years he has founded and helped to build over 85 high-tech companies ...
unveiled the
Breaking the Impasse (BTI) Initiative at the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
held at the
Dead Sea. At the launch, al-Masri stated, "It’s not for us to iron out the details. We are worried by the status quo. We want to change the status quo… Now the Israeli and Palestinian side
f the initiativeare very honest in their appeal: They want to break the impasse… They want the two sides to negotiate… to push all the parties to engage in real negotiations."
The BTI Forum was hosted by
King Abdullah of Jordan and attended by
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
,
Shimon Peres and
Mahmoud Abbas. Breaking the Impasse initiatives goal is to encourage and support political leaders to work towards a two-state solution. al-Masri has stated that he will keep working towards achieving peace through the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which, like the
Fez Initiative, offers Israel full recognition and normal relations with the Arabs in the context of comprehensive peace.
References
External links
*
*
Prime Ministry of Jordan website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masri, Munib
1934 births
Palestinian businesspeople
People from Nablus
Palestinian inventors
Palestinian chief executives
Palestinian investors
Palestinian philanthropists
Palestinian company founders
American University of Beirut trustees
Living people
Government ministers of Jordan
Public works ministers of Jordan
University of Texas at Austin alumni
An-Najah National University alumni