The announcement came a day after the US warned Lebanese leaders not to include Hezbollah or its allies in the cabinet [Getty]
Lebanon‘s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam formed a government on Saturday after weeks of tough political deliberations over its 24 ministers, ending more than two and a half years of caretaker leadership.
Salam has vowed not to name members of political parties, which often follow sectarian lines and have long been accused of corruption.
But in a country where power is shared according to sectarian quotas, cabinet members were selected after consultations with political leaders.
Who are some of the most notable ministers in Lebanon’s new government?
Finance — Yassine Jaber
Yassine Jaber is a former economy and transport minister who is close to the powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri.
Jaber was previously a lawmaker and part of Berri’s Hezbollah-allied Amal bloc, although he is not officially a member of a party.
His naming had been leaked and criticised by some as a boon for Berri.
Long dominated by the two Shiite parties, the strategic portfolio will be key at a time when Lebanon needs funding to rebuild after the Israel-Hezbollah war and years of economic collapse.
Environment — Tamara Elzein
Tamara Elzein has been secretary-general of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research since 2022.
She is vice president of the Lebanese National Commission for UN cultural body UNESCO.
She holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from France’s Universite de Haute-Alsace.
Culture — Ghassan Salame
An academic, politician and diplomat, Ghassan Salame previously held the position.
The former United Nations envoy to Libya also worked as an adviser to former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and to the UN mission in Iraq.
Social Affairs — Haneen Sayed
Haneen Sayed is an economist and author who has worked extensively with the World Bank, including on its response to Lebanon’s gruelling economic crisis and to the war in neighbouring Syria.
Energy — Joe Saddi
Joe Saddi holds an MBA from Cornell University in the United States and worked in consulting.
He was Senior Partner and Chairman of consulting firm Strategy&’s Middle East business and had previously been a chairman of the board at Booz & Company.
His LinkedIn profile says he was based in the United Arab Emirates and had led privatisation programmes in the energy, mining, and steel sectors and advised Middle East governments on deregulation and policy.
It is the first time in years that the energy minister was not named by the Free Patriotic Movement — a Christian party once a close Hezbollah before relations soured over hostilities with Israel. The party has no ties to the current government.
Displaced, Tech, AI — Kamal Shehadi
Kamal Shehadi is minister for the displaced and state minister for technology and artificial intelligence — a challenge in a country where electricity cuts often last most of the day.
Shehadi’s LinkedIn profile says he was based in the United Arab Emirates, worked in telecommunications and technology and obtained degrees from Columbia and Harvard universities in the United States.
