Najib Mikati

Najib Mikati
Born	(1955-11-24) November 24, 1955 Tripoli, Lebanon
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, politician
Years active	1998–present
Known for	Prime Minister of Lebanon (2005, 2011–2014, 2021–2025)

Najib Azmi Mikati (born 24 November 1955) is a Lebanese entrepreneur and political figure who held the position of Lebanon's 52nd prime minister of Lebanon from 2021 until 2025. He had previously occupied the prime ministerial office twice, first as the 45th in 2005 and later as the 48th from 2011 to 2014. Additionally, he was appointed as the Minister of Public Works and Transport between December 1998 and 2003.

Following the departure of Syrian forces, Mikati headed an interim administration in 2005 that supervised the national elections. He formed his second cabinet in 2011 with support from the March 8 Alliance, resigning in 2013. Mikati served as a member of parliament representing Tripoli from 2000 to 2005 and was re-elected in both 2009 and 2018. In July 2021, he was appointed prime minister again, assuming office on 10 September. However, during parliamentary consultations on 13 January 2025, he was defeated by ICJ president Nawaf Salam, garnering only nine votes compared to Salam's eighty-four.

According to Forbes, Najib Mikati ranks among Lebanon's wealthiest individuals, possessing a net worth estimated at $2.8 billion in 2023 alongside his brother Taha Mikati. In 2019, state prosecutor Ghada Aoun charged him with corruption related to subsidized housing loans; these allegations were dismissed on 3 February 2022 by judge Charbel Bou Samra. A Monaco-based investigation in 2023 also exonerated him due to "insufficient evidence." Mikati has maintained that these accusations were driven by political motives. His business achievements are notably linked to telecommunications ventures in Syria and Lebanon during the early 2000s, which connected him with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Early life and education

Born into a distinguished Sunni Muslim family in Tripoli on 24 November 1955, Mikati pursued higher education at the American University of Beirut, earning an MBA in 1980. He further enhanced his executive expertise by completing programs at Harvard University and INSEAD.

Business career and wealth

In 1979, Najib’s brother Taha Mikati established Arabian Construction Company (ACC) in Abu Dhabi, which grew into one of the largest construction enterprises in the Middle East. Najib partnered with Taha to co-found the telecommunications firm Investcom in 1982; this company was later sold to South Africa’s MTN Group for $5.5 billion in 2006.

The Mikati brothers control Lebanon24, a news outlet operated through Investcom Holding, and hold an eleven percent stake in LBCI.

Najib holds significant shares in MTN and owns the upscale fashion label Façonnable. His investment portfolio spans sectors such as transportation, oil and gas, and real estate across major cities including London, New York, and Monaco.

He is also the proprietor of the luxury motor yacht Mimtee, measuring seventy-nine meters in length.

Political career

Mikati was appointed Minister of Public Works and Transport in December 1998 and won a seat in the Lebanese parliament representing Tripoli in 2000, defeating Omar Karami within the same electoral district. Maintaining his ministerial position, he became known as a moderately pro-Syrian figure who maintained a consistent rapport with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Later, while serving as transportation minister, Mikati aligned himself with then-President Émile Lahoud, endorsing Lahoud’s extension of his presidential term in 2004.

Regarded as a neutral personality not firmly allied with any major political faction, Mikati is a Sunni leader who rejects any affiliation with Hezbollah. He identifies as a liberal and highlights his entrepreneurial experience to build connections with the United States.

First premiership

Having been a recurring candidate for prime minister since 2000, Mikati assumed the office after Omar Karami stepped down on 13 April 2005. During the cabinet formation negotiations, he emerged as a consensus choice and served in a caretaker capacity. As head of the solidarity bloc, which has held two parliamentary seats since 2004, he also established Lebanon’s centrist movement and organized international conferences to advocate for this political stance. In the 2009 parliamentary elections, Mikati secured his seat representing Tripoli as part of the centrist parliamentary groups.

Second premiership

On 24 January 2011, the March 8 alliance—which included Hezbollah, Michel Aoun, and Walid Jumblatt—put forward Mikati as their candidate for prime minister. He succeeded Saad Hariri following the collapse of Hariri’s government amid resignations linked to the failure of the Saudi-Syrian initiative concerning the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. On 25 January, Mikati received backing from 68 members of parliament, leading President Michel Suleiman to invite him to form a government. The process of assembling the cabinet extended over five months due to significant disagreements. On 13 June 2011, Mikati officially commenced his second term as prime minister.

Upon establishing his government, Mikati committed to reclaiming territories occupied by Israel. His administration concentrated on managing intricate regional alliances and internal political challenges. However, on 22 March 2013, amid intensifying tensions between pro- and anti-Assad factions within Lebanon, Mikati tendered his resignation, which was accepted by the president on 23 March. Subsequently, Tammam Salam was appointed on 6 April 2013 to form a new government.

Third premiership

Following Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s resignation in August 2020 and unsuccessful attempts by both Mustafa Adib and Saad Hariri to establish a cabinet, Mikati was designated prime minister on 26 July 2021. He garnered support from 72 out of 128 parliamentarians and aimed to lead a technocratic government free from direct political party representation to implement reforms demanded by international donors. Despite this intention, public opinion remained skeptical due to Lebanon’s deepening economic crisis and perceptions of Mikati as part of the entrenched political elite and economic oligarchy. After protracted negotiations involving President Aoun and various political factions, Mikati formed a cabinet consisting of 24 members on 10 September 2021.

At that time, Lebanon was grappling with a currency collapse, inflation soaring to over 700% in food prices over two years, widespread unemployment, poverty affecting approximately 78% of the population per UN estimates, frequent power outages, and fuel shortages. Mikati sought solidarity from Arab nations and engaged in talks with the International Monetary Fund to address these challenges.

In February 2022, Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai of the Maronite Church urged the government to finalize an agreement with the IMF to avert Lebanon’s collapse.

Reappointed as prime minister-designate on 23 June 2022 with 54 votes compared to Nawaf Salam’s 28, Mikati encountered difficulties working with President Michel Aoun in forming a new cabinet. Although Aoun signed a decree dissolving Mikati’s government prior to his term’s expiration, Parliament ruled this ineffective since the government had already been considered resigned following the May elections.

On 6 November 2023, after civilian casualties occurred in southern Lebanon, Mikati declared intentions to submit an urgent complaint to the UN Security Council accusing Israel of targeting civilians. In July 2024, he called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza conflict while accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Mikati strongly condemned Israel following the 2024 Lebanon pager explosions, describing them as a grave breach of Lebanese sovereignty. After Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon during September 2024 resulted in hundreds of deaths and over a thousand injuries, he characterized these attacks as an extermination campaign aimed at annihilating Lebanese communities.

On January 11, 2025, Mikati visited Syria and met with de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa—the first visit by a Lebanese prime minister to Damascus in fifteen years. Two days later, he resigned after Nawaf Salam was elected prime minister by an assembly of eighty-four lawmakers.

On February 4, 2025, Mikati welcomed Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Beirut. Their discussions centered on Qatar’s potential involvement in Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts, particularly focusing on southern areas affected by recent conflicts with Israel.

Corruption allegations

In 2019, state prosecutor Ghada Aoun accused Mikati of illicit enrichment related to subsidized housing loans. However, on 3 February 2022, judge Charbel Bou Samra dismissed these charges.

Mikati appeared in the Pandora Papers disclosures in October 2021 but denied any improper conduct.

In April 2024, two French anti-corruption groups lodged a complaint alleging financial fraud involving Mikati and his family. Mikati rejected these claims, describing them as offensive to both himself and his relatives.

Wikileaks disclosures

A 2008 diplomatic cable from the US Embassy, released by Wikileaks, quoted Mikati referring to Hezbollah as a "tumor" that "must be removed to preserve Lebanon," cautioning that its presence might lead to a "sad ending" for the country. The document highlighted Mikati’s consistent expression of this stance while presenting himself as an adversary of Hezbollah in anticipation of resuming the Prime Minister role.

Personal life

Mikati is married to May Domani, and together they have three children.

External links

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