Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib in Moscow on Nov. 22, 2021. (Credit: Evgenia Novozhenina/AFP)
BEIRUT — Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib died Wednesday evening at the age of 84 from a heart attack, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Bou Habib began his career at the World Bank in 1976 as an economic expert and later served as a senior loan officer for the Middle East and North Africa region.
From May 1983 to February 1990, he represented Lebanon as ambassador to the United States. He rejoined the World Bank in 1992, where he held several senior positions, including adviser to the vice president for the MENA region.
In 2001, he returned to Beirut and was appointed chief adviser to then-Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares, a post he held until 2005.
Bou Habib later served as Lebanon’s foreign minister from September 2021 to February 2025 in the Cabinet headed by Najib Mikati. His final months in office were marked by the war between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as a large-scale Israeli military offensive in Lebanon.
He held a degree from the American University of Beirut and a doctorate in economics from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
Political reactions
Paying tribute to the late minister, Mikati said he was “deeply saddened” by the passing of his former Cabinet member, adding that he was scheduled to meet with him Thursday morning. Mikati highlighted their “fruitful collaboration despite the gravity” of the situation and recalled Bou Habib’s “firmness” in decision-making, “with diplomacy marked by wisdom, realism, sincere patriotism, and deep expertise in international relations.”
“I knew him as someone profoundly committed to his national convictions, never compromising,” Mikati added. “We shared a strong personal friendship that helped resolve numerous thorny issues — often discreetly, far from the media spotlight.” He also remembered his former colleague’s “smile, pleasant presence and ever-present sense of humor.”
For his part, former Youth and Sports Minister Georges Kallas recalled Bou Habib’s “smiling, calm and distinguished presence,” noting that he led the Foreign Ministry "during one of the most politically sensitive periods Lebanon has faced.”
“He strengthened Lebanon’s position and improved its relations with the Arab world and the international community by adopting an open policy in the country’s best interest,” Kallas added. He also praised Bou Habib’s “ability to resolve crises and overcome conflicts” as well as his enduring optimism.
