Issam Fares (born 1937) is a Lebanese businessman, former member of the

Parliament of Lebanon The Lebanese Parliament (, ) is the unicameral national parliament of the Lebanon, Republic of Lebanon. There are 128 members elected to a four-year term in Electoral district, multi-member constituencies, apportioned among Lebanon's divers ...

and

Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon The office of Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon was formed in 1943. The National Pact stipulates that the Deputy Prime Minister should always be Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christians, Greek Orthodox Christian. List See also * Government of Le ...

Early life

Issam Michael Fares was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, in 1937. He was educated at Tripoli College, and graduated in 1954.

Career

In 1954, at the age of seventeen, Fares left his homeland to work as a clerk at a catering and food services firm in Qatar. Two years later, he was heading Abela Group’s finances and subsequently managing its operations in Pakistan, Kuwait, Iran and Saudi Arabia. At age 38, Fares established a civil engineering and construction firm, which completed many notable projects including the world's longest international bridge, which connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. He then sold the company to

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...

, and used the proceeds to buy US-based investment firm, Wedge Group; a company that he heads today.

Politics

In the general elections of 2000, Fares won the seat of

Akkar Akkar District () is the only district in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. It is coextensive with the governorate and covers an area of . The UNHCR estimated the population of the district to be 389,899 in 2015, including 106,935 registered refugees o ...

, the first district of the North Lebanon. He served as deputy prime minister of Lebanon from 2000 to 2005.

Honours

The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies is an interdisciplinary education and research organization founded in 2001, devoted to the regional study of the Eastern Mediterranean within the greater Middle East. The Center is part of The ...

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

, the

Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) is located at the American University of Beirut (AUB). This independent institute develops policy research in the Arab region. It is currently headed by Joseph Bahout. The ...

at the

American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB; ) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its main campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, autonomous board of trustees and offers programs le ...

, and the Issam Fares Faculty of Technology at the

University of Balamand The University of Balamand (UOB; ) is a private institution, secular in its policies and approach to education. It welcomes faculty, students, and staff from all faiths and national or ethnic origins. The university is located in the northern di ...

are named after him.

Personal life

Fares has 3 sons with his first wife. He is married to Hala Fares, his second wife. They have a daughter, Noor Fares. Issam Fares owns one of the 200 largest superyachts in the world, the Wedge Too. It has a length of 66m, and was designed by

Philippe Starck Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. His most popular pieces ...

. It was built in 2002 in the Netherlands. Fares has donated over 1 billion US dollars to various political, educational and philanthropic institutions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fares, Issam 20th-century Lebanese businesspeople 21st-century Lebanese businesspeople 1937 births Living people Members of the Parliament of Lebanon Deputy prime ministers of Lebanon Greek Orthodox Christians from Lebanon Commanders of the Legion of Honour Knights of St. Gregory the Great Recipients of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) Recipients of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise Grand Officers of the National Order of the Cedar Politicians from Tripoli, Lebanon