Adnan Kassar

Early life and education

Kassar was born into a Sunni family in Beirut in 1930. He received a law degree from St. Joseph University in 1951.

Career

In addition to being a lawyer, Kassar is a businessman, dealing finance investments. He has founded and owns various companies concerning trade, shipping and travel, and industry and chairman of Kassar Group. He is also shareholder with Walid Jumblatt in a cement manufacturing firm. Kassar served as the president of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry for nearly thirty years; to which he was elected in January 1972. In June 1997, he became the president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon. From 1999 to 2000, he headed the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) based in Paris. On 1 January 2001, Richard McCormick, who served as his deputy at the ICC, succeeded Kassar as head of the ICC.

In January 2003, Kassar was appointed member of the patrons committee of the Anglo-Arab organisation. In addition, Kassar and his brother are shareholders of Fransabank, a large Lebanese commercial bank. Kassar is chairman of the bank. He is also chairman of the general union of Arab chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture and of Lebanon’s economic committees.

In October 2004, Kassar was appointed minister of economy and trade in the cabinet led by prime minister Omar Karami, replacing Marwan Hamadeh as economy minister. His tenure lasted until the year 2005, when Karami resigned from office due to the pressures exerted by Lebanese people as a protest over the assassination of Rafik Hariri. Kassar was succeeded by Demianos Khattah in the post. Later Kassar served as the minister of state in the cabinet led by prime minister Saad Hariri from November 2009 to 2011. Kassar was one of the cabinet members appointed by the Lebanese president Michel Suleiman.

Kassar has been regarded as a potential prime minister since the beginning of the 2000s. After the resignation of prime minister Najib Mikati in March 2013, Kassar himself also announced that he is a "permanent" candidate for this post. However, he was not supported by main factions such as the 14 March or 8 March alliances for the post.

Awards

Kassar has also been given other awards, including, Commander of the Order of La Pléiade and the prize of the Crans Montana Forum (2000).

Personal life

Kassar was born to Wafiq Kassar, a prominent diplomat who served as Ambassador of Lebanon in Pakistan and Turkey. Kassar is married Raidaa Nathem AlMisqawi and has a daughter, Roula Kassar.