{{short description|Lebanese politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Bahia Hariri | native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ar|بهية الحريري}}}} | image = Hariri Foundation - Bahia Hariri (cropped).jpg | caption = Hariri in 2025 | office2 = [[Lebanese Parliament|Member of the Lebanese Parliament]] | term_start2 = 23 August 1992 | term_end2 = 21 May 2022 | constituency2 = [[Sidon]] ([[1992 Lebanese general election|1992]], [[1996 Lebanese general election|1996]], [[2000 Lebanese general election|2000]], [[2005 Lebanese general election|2005]], [[2009 Lebanese general election|2009]], [[2018 Lebanese general election|2018]]) | office1 = [[Ministry of Education (Lebanon)|Minister of Education and Higher Learning]] | prime_minister1 = [[Fouad Siniora]] | term_start1 = 11 July 2008 | term_end1 = 9 November 2009 | predecessor1 = Khaled Kabbani | successor1 = Hassan Mneimneh | office = Leader of the [[Future Movement]] in the [[Parliament of Lebanon]] | term_start = 7 May 2018 | term_end = 21 May 2022 | predecessor = [[Fouad Siniora]] | spouse = Mustafa Hariri | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1952|6|23}} | birth_place = [[Sidon]], [[Lebanon]] | party = [[Future Movement]] }} {{Hariri family sidebar}} '''Bahia Hariri''' ({{langx|ar|بهية الحريري}}; born 26 June 1952) is a Lebanese politician<ref name="KnudsenHanafi2010">{{cite book|author1=Are Knudsen|author2=Sari Hanafi|title=Palestinian Refugees: Identity, Space and Place in the Levant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6BDNReOSO9QC&pg=PA101|year=2010|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-58046-5|pages=101}}</ref> and sister of former Lebanese Prime Minister [[Rafik Hariri]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.prestigemag.co/2015/05/bahia-hariri/|title=Bahia Hariri|magazine=Prestige Magazine|date=5 May 2015|access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref><ref name=mpol>{{cite journal|author=Ward Vloeberghs|title=The Hariri Political Dynasty after the Arab Spring|journal=[[Mediterranean Politics]]|volume=17|issue=2|pages=241–248|doi=10.1080/13629395.2012.694046|date=July 2012|s2cid=154581954|url=https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00721567/file/The_Hariri_Political_Dynasty_after_the_Arab_Spring_Vloeberghs_2012_HALSHS.pdf }}</ref>
==Early life and education== Bahia Hariri was born in [[Sidon]], Lebanon, on 23 June 1952<ref name=who>{{cite book|title=Who's Who in Lebanon|year=2007 |location=Beirut|publisher=Publitec Publications|edition=19th|url=https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110945904.476 |isbn=978-3-598-07734-0|page=162|doi=10.1515/9783110945904.476 }}</ref> to a [[Sunni Islam in Lebanon|Sunni Muslim]] family. Her two brothers are Shafic and Rafik Hariri.<ref name="mpol" /> She graduated from the Teacher Training College in Sidon.<ref name=who/>
==Career== Hariri worked as a teacher upon graduation in Sidon and southern Lebanon until 1979.<ref name=mpol/> She then headed the Hariri Foundation in Sidon, founded by her brother Rafik Hariri in 1979.<ref name=mpol/><ref name=who/> The foundation is a major educational and charitable institution.
In 1992, Hariri was elected as member of [[parliament of Lebanon|Parliament]] for the [[Sunni]] seat in Saida.<ref name=who/> She was reelected in 1996 and 2000 for the same seat.<ref>{{cite news|title=Opposition Candidates Win Elections|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/LEBANON+-+Sept.+3+-+Opposition+Candidates+Win+Elections.-a073739331|access-date=10 March 2013|work=APS Diplomat Recorder|date=9 September 2000}}</ref> From July 2008 to November 2009 she was the minister of education.<ref name=mpol/>
She was again elected to Parliament in June 2009. She headed the Parliamentary commission for education and culture in the Lebanese Parliament, in addition to being member of the Parliamentary commission for foreign and immigration affairs. She is also a [[goodwill ambassador]] for UNESCO,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/director-general/singleview-dg/news/unesco_goodwill_ambassador_bahia_hariri_pays_visit_to_the_di/|title=UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Bahia Hariri pays visit to the Director-General calling for the need to reaffirm the full respect for Human Rights in light of the current wave of protests and violence|website=www.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=4 November 2017}}</ref> and heads the Islamic Organization for Higher Education. She serves on the Advisory Council of World Links Arab Region.
==Personal life== Bahia Hariri was married to her cousin Mustafa Hariri who died April 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-18 |title=وفاة زوج بهية الحريري |url=https://www.imlebanon.org/2024/04/18/mustafa-hariri/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=IMLebanon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=mpol/> They married in 1973 and have four children: Nader (born 1976),<ref name=mpol/> Ghena (born 1979), Ahmad (born 1983)<ref name=mpol/> and Ola (1988).<ref name=who/>
==Awards and distinctions== * [[Legion of Honour|Légion d'honneur]] (2003) * The [[Aga Khan Award for Architecture]], in recognition of the reconstruction of The Big Omary Mosque (1989) * Lebanese Cedar Award, Lieutenant rank, in recognition of services in Social and Cultural fields (1989) * The Golden Apple Award from the [[FIJET|World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers]] * Honorary Doctorate from the [[American University of Science and Technology]] (2010)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons-inline}} * Heyer, H. (8 August 2008). [http://www.eturbonews.com/4123/executive-talk-bahia-baha-elddine-hariri Executive Talk: Bahia Baha’a Elddine Hariri.] * NNA (10 October 2011). [https://web.archive.org/web/20111012151843/http://www.en.siyese.com/lebanon/hariri-waiting-for-mikati-to-fulfill-his-promises/ Hariri waiting for Mikati to fulfill his promises.] * IWSAW (2012). [https://web.archive.org/web/20190328090314/http://whoisshe.lau.edu.lb/expert-profile/bahia-hariri Who Is She In Lebanon.] LAU.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hariri, Bahia}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Hariri family|Bahia]] [[Category:People from Sidon]] [[Category:Lebanese American University]] [[Category:Members of the Parliament of Lebanon]] [[Category:Lebanese Sunni politicians]] [[Category:Education ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:Women government ministers of Lebanon]] [[Category:UNESCO goodwill ambassadors]] [[Category:21st-century Lebanese women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century Lebanese politicians]] [[Category:Future Movement politicians]] [[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour]]