{{short description|Palestinian entrepreneur and businessman (born 1961)}} {{Multiple issues| {{advert|date=November 2020}} {{COI|date=November 2020}} }} {{Infobox person | name = Bashar Al Masri | native_name = بشار المصري | native_name_lang = ar | image = Bashar Masry.jpg | birth_name = Bashar Al Masri | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|02|03|df=yes}} | birth_place = Nablus, Jordanian-administered West Bank, Palestine (present-day Nablus, Palestine) | death_date = | death_place = | party = | spouse = Jean | children = 2 | relatives = Munib al-Masri (uncle)<br>Sabih al-Masri (great-uncle) | alma_mater = Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | occupation = Businessman | website = www.basharmasri.com }} '''Bashar Al Masri''' ({{langx|ar|بشار المصري|Bashshār al-Miṣrī}}; born 3 February 1961), known in the West as '''Bashar Masri''', is a Palestinian and American dual citizen and a businessman who is the founder and chairman of Massar International since its establishment in 1994. He is the founder of Rawabi, the West Bank's first planned city, and the founder and the CEO of Bayti Real Estate Investment Company that built the city.<ref name= bloomberg>{{Cite web |title= Executive Profile: Bashar Masri |website=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=111402495&privcapId=107355227}}{{dead link |date=April 2025}}</ref><ref name= ToI25>{{Cite news |author= Tress, Luke |title= Leading Palestinian-American businessman aided Hamas, lawsuit by Oct. 7 victims claims |website=Times of Israel |date= 7 April 2025 |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/leading-palestinian-american-businessman-aided-hamas-lawsuit-claims/ |access-date= 8 April 2025}}</ref> He founded and manages the first Palestinian equity fund, a $90 million investment initiative known as "Siraj Fund".<ref name= globes11>{{Cite web|url=http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-1000622030|title=Siraj Fund raises $60m for Palestinian high tech|date=9 February 2011}}</ref> He is on the list of the "Top Ten Richest People of Palestine in 2016." Masri was named by the World Economic Forum as a Global Leader of Tomorrow and ranked among the World's 50 Greatest Leaders in 2018 by Fortune magazine.
Masri is chairman of the Palestine Development and Investment Company <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.padico.com/en/about-padico/238.html|title=BOARD MEMBER AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF MASSAR INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT GROUP|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}}</ref>
== Early life == Masri was born in Nablus, then under Jordanian rule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.americantaskforce.org/daily_news_article/2011/02/23/1298437200_20|title=Palestinian-American Entrepreneur Re-Envisions West Bank Development|date=23 February 2011|website=The American Task Force on Palestine}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=West Bank: Palestinians' first planned city will offer modern space |url=http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/11/04/west-bank-palestinians-first-planned-city-will-offer-modern-space/ |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=4 November 2009 |accessdate=10 December 2009 }}</ref> At 14 years old, Masri began throwing stones and organizing demonstrations, leading him to be jailed by Israel eight times.<ref name= ToI16>{{cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Yardena |date=2016-01-24 |title=In new Palestinian city, few residents and charges of collusion with Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-new-palestinian-city-few-residents-and-charges-of-collusion-with-israel/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=The Times of Israel |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> At age 16, Masri’s father sent him to school in Egypt after he was released from prison and missed exams.<ref name= time2015>{{Cite magazine |last=Lazareva |first=Inna |location=Rawabi, West Bank |date=2015-09-01 |title=Meet the Palestinian Who Went From Throwing Stones at Israelis to Building a Town With Them |url=https://time.com/4018306/rawabi-bashar-masri/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |magazine=TIME}}</ref> After leaving Nablus, Masri continued his education in Egypt, before moving to the United States, where he graduated from Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1983.<ref>{{cite news|title=The first (planned) Palestinian city |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243039024&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=30 November 2009 |accessdate=10 December 2009 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name= task>{{Cite web|url=http://www.americantaskforce.org/daily_news_article/2009/11/03/1257224400_14|title=BUILDING IN THE WEST BANK: An Interview with Bashar Masri|date=3 November 2009|website=The American Task Force on Palestine}}</ref>
After participating in the First Intifada, Masri went back to the United States, where he had already attended college, married an American and received US citizenship.<ref name= ToI25/><ref name= cbs19>{{Cite web |last=Whitaker |first=Bill |title=Inside Rawabi: A new West Bank city built by Bashar Masri for Palestinians |date=2019-12-08 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/inside-rawabi-a-new-west-bank-city-built-by-bashar-masri-for-palestinians-60-minutes-2019-12-08/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=60 Minutes - CBS News}}</ref>
==Career== Masri worked in a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United States and the United Kingdom, before he decided to return to Palestine and settle there in the mid-1994. He has a background in management consulting and industrial management.<ref name= bloomberg/>
On a regional level, Masri has spearheaded large and economically significant investment projects, including affordable housing communities in Morocco, commercial and residential developments in Jordan, and a residential real estate project in Egypt. Massar International under Masri's management currently has multiple businesses in Morocco, Jordan, Egypt and Serbia.<ref name= globes2011/>
== Business in Palestine ==
=== Al-Ayyam Newspaper === After Masri came back from Washington, DC to Palestine in the mid-1990s to establish himself in his home country, he started by founding Palestinian daily newspaper ''Al-Ayyam'' ({{langx|ar|جريدة الأيام}}) and was its publisher. Al Ayyam is today the second largest newspaper in Palestine.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/ac890172-2024-11e3-9a9a-00144feab7de|title=Peace dividends|newspaper=Financial Times|date=19 September 2013}}</ref>
=== Massar International Ltd === In 1994, Masri founded Massar International,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.massar.com/?TemplateId=info&PageId=2&MenuId=13&Lang=1|title=Chairman letter|date=17 February 2018}}</ref> and as the chairman of the board since the establishment of Massar, he has been one of the most prominent figures promoting private sector development and growth in Palestine. He has dedicated his life to establishing, investing, transforming, networking, training and building what is now a widely known group of businesses bridging Palestine to global technologies, knowledge, know-how and industry best practices. In the past decade, he has launched businesses in financial services, real estate, media and communications, retail businesses, agribusiness and information technology.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=107354853|title=Company Overview of Massar International|website=Bloomberg News}}</ref>
=== Rawabi City & Bayti Real Estate === Masri is the visionary and founder of Rawabi City, and oversees the construction and development of the city. Rawabi City is a high-tech planned city, the first of its kind in Palestine, and it was funded fully by the private sector, Rawabi is considered the largest private sector investment in Palestine's history. The construction of the city so far has cost 1.4 billion dollars. Rawabi is being constructed by Bayti Real Estate Investment Company that is jointly owned by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company and Massar International.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rawabi.ps/bayti/about_bayti.php|title=About Bayti|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}}</ref> With its more than 6,000 housing units built to serve families from multiple demographics, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and an emerging commercial hub, the city has already made a positive economic and social impact on Palestinians and it is constructed to provide housing for 25,000 person in its first stage and 40,000 people when it is done.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rawabi.ps/press_show.php?id=6|title=PRESS RELEASE|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.pnn.ps/2017/05/17/video-rawabi-city-opens-biggest-shopping-center-in-palestine/|title=Video: Rawabi city opens biggest shopping center in Palestine|last=|first=|date=17 May 2017|website=|access-date=}}</ref> Not only does the city provide affordable housing options it is also the second biggest generator of jobs, after the Palestinian Government, providing between 8,000 and 10,000 job opportunity a year for construction workers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicawang/2016/07/06/one-mans-dream-city-rises-in-the-occupied-west-bank/#bd1b258732d0|title=One Man's Dream City Rises In The Occupied West Bank|website=Forbes}}</ref> In order to build Rawabi, Masri cooperated with Israeli businesses and government officials, leading him to be criticized by Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.<ref name= time2015/><ref name= ToI16/> Israeli companies that work on Rawabi’s development have signed a contract against using Israeli settlement products, which upset right-wing Israeli legislators. The city has received support from American Jewish groups, such as AIPAC and the Anti-Defamation League.<ref name= ToI16/>
Masri aims for the City of Rawabi to be the Silicon Valley and the Tech Hub for the State of Palestine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-all-his-chips-in-palestinian-businessman-aims-to-build-silicon-rawabi/|title=With all his chips in, Palestinian businessman aims to build 'Silicon Rawabi'|website=The Times of Israel}}</ref>
In July 2022, Apple Inc. announced that the company would be expanding their research and development centre in Rawabi. The expansion will take place via hiring contractor ASAL Technologies and Masri in order to achieve the expansion.<ref>{{cite news |date=2022-07-01 |title=Apple to expand Palestinian R&D center in Rawabi |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/07/01/apple-to-expand-palestinian-rd-center-in-rawabi/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=Israel Hayom}}</ref>
=== Siraj Fund Management Company === Masri founded and manages the first Palestinian equity fund, a 90 million investment initiative known as "Siraj Fund" in 2003, and the company's first fund "Siraj Palestine Fund I" was launched in February 2011,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=108755386|title=Company Overview of Siraj Fund Management Company|website=Bloomberg News}}</ref> the company was founded for the sole purpose of managing investment funds in Palestine. The company focuses on promising startups and capital investments in small and medium-sized enterprises in the sectors of information and communication technology services, energy, agriculture, clean technology, healthcare, logistics, education, manufacturing, transportation, construction and financial services. Siraj's investments in these companies range between $250,000 and $12 million, and plans on expanding in the MENA region in the future.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=108755411|title=Company Overview of Siraj Palestine Fund I|website=Bloomberg News}}</ref><ref name= globes2011/>
=== Alleged ties to Hamas === In April 2025, around 200 victims of the October 7 attacks and their family members sued three of Masri's real estate businesses for allegedly developing and operating properties that masked Hamas tunnels. The lawsuit alleges that Masri was aware of Hamas infrastructure on his properties.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldman |first=Adam |date=2025-04-07 |title=Lawsuit Accuses Prominent Palestinian American of Supporting Hamas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/us/politics/lawsuit-american-palestinian-hamas.html |access-date=2025-08-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref> Masri resigned from his position at Harvard University following the lawsuit's filing.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tress |first=Luke |date=2025-04-11 |title=Leading Palestinian American drops Harvard position after claims he aided Hamas |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/leading-palestinian-american-drops-harvard-position-after-claims-he-aided-hamas/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> In August 2025, the plaintiffs' lawyers reported that they were unable to locate Masri to serve him a legal summons, and that he was probably residing somewhere in the Palestinian territories.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tress |first=Luke |date=2025-08-04 |title=Lawyers seeking Palestinian American businessman accused of aiding Hamas cannot find him |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lawyers-seeking-palestinian-american-businessman-accused-of-aiding-hamas-cannot-find-him/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schwalb |first=Jessica |date=2025-08-06 |title=Former Harvard Kennedy School Adviser Accused of Aiding Hamas Hides in Palestinian Territories To Avoid Summons |url=https://freebeacon.com/campus/former-harvard-kennedy-school-official-accused-of-aiding-hamas-hides-in-palestinian-territories-to-avoid-summons/ |access-date=2025-08-11 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Political views == In an interview to Business Insider, Masri said that BDS boycotts against the entire State of Israel are a mistake, and instead "It would have been a great tactic" to boycott the Israeli settlements only.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Harrison |title=A Palestinian-American billionaire thinks activists boycotting Israel are going about it all wrong |website=Business Insider |date= 2018-10-22 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/masri-activists-boycotting-israel-2018-10#:~:text=It%20would%20have%20been%20a%20great%20tactic%20if%20you%20were%20boycotting%20the%20settlements |access-date=2025-03-11}}</ref>
After Israel's normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Masri said Palestinians should try to turn it into "a positive thing for us", adding he hopes that those countries would "pressure Israel into concessions for the Palestinians".<ref>Reuters. (2021, May 16). [https://www.reuters.com/article/world/palestinian-business-leader-hopes-uae-bahrain-will-press-israel-to-stop-settlem-idUSKBN26Q2BM/ Palestinian business leader hopes UAE, Bahrain will press Israel to stop settlement building.]</ref>
In a conference organized by the Israeli economic newspaper Globes, Masri said of the Israeli military occupation "There is no good occupation, and being occupied is terrible, regardless of who the occupier is. For the occupiers, being an occupier is bad", and added that he's also critical of the Palestinian leadership, saying "They are using excuses and can do a lot more, but the situation is different because of the occupation".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Aviv |date=2018-06-21 |title=Mellanox CEO: We employ over 100 Palestinians |work= Globes |url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-mellanox-ceo-we-employ-over-100-palestinians-1001242534#:~:text=Does%20the%20Israeli%20army%20help? |access-date=2025-03-11}}</ref>
== Diplomatic involvement == Per the Israeli journalist Ben Caspit, in an article published in The Jerusalem Post and Maariv, in 2025 Masri has been acting as a "close" advisor to Adam Boehler, the Trump administration Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. According to Caspit, Masri is viewed as "a pragmatic figure" who does not have any ties to the Palestinian Authority or to Hamas, and is in a uniquely influential position being respected by both the American administration and Palestinian business circles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=כספית |first=בן |date=2025-03-09 |title=חשיפת מעריב: תרשמו לפניכם את השם - זה האיש של טראמפ ליום שאחרי {{!}} בן כספית |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/article-1178846 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=מעריב |lang=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Caspit |first=Ben |date=2025-03-10 |title=Bashar Masri's quiet role in Trump's post-war Gaza plans |website=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845379 |access-date=2025-03-10}}</ref>
An article in Haaretz claimed that a private jet once used by Yasser Arafat and now owned by Masri was used, per Caspit's report, by Boehler to shuttle between countries throughout the Middle East.<ref>Scharf, A. (2025, March 12). [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2025-03-12/ty-article-magazine/.premium/doha-riyadh-baghdad-how-arafats-private-jet-is-used-for-secret-flights-from-israel/00000195-86bb-d012-aff7-e6fb3cc30000 Doha, Riyadh, Baghdad: How Arafat's private jet is used for secret flights from Israel]. Haaretz.
</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-11 |title=Opinion {{!}} Who Speaks for Trump With Hamas? |url=https://www.wsj.com/opinion/adam-boehler-trump-envoy-hamas-israel-steve-witkoff-d97a4c24 |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=WSJ |quote="Israeli media report that Mr. Boehler has been using the private jet of Palestinian businessman Bashar Masri to travel to negotiations. A U.S. citizen who returned to the West Bank in 1994, Mr. Masri reportedly attended some talks."}}</ref>
== Personal life == Bashar Al-Masri is married to Jean, a Christian American woman, whom he met while studying at Virginia Tech. They have two daughters.<ref name= task/> He is part of the al Masri family, a prominent Nablus family, whose members served as ministers in the Jordanian and Palestinian governments. Israeli news outlet ''Ynet'' reported the al Masri family are politically unaffiliated, refraining from political involvement in order to avoid "jeopardizing their extensive business ventures".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Halabi |first=Einav |date=2025-03-11 |title=The Palestinian-American businessman who serves as secret advisor to Trump administration |work= Ynetnews |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/s1vbn9hsjx |access-date=2025-03-11}}</ref>
Masri is the nephew of the Palestinian businessman Munib al-Masri (b. 1934),<ref>{{Cite news |last=חלבי |first=עינב |date=2024-08-17 |title="רוטשילד", המתדלק, וה"אמריקני" עם חיי הפאר: הכירו את העשירים הפלסטינים |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rydamsx5c?utm_source=ynet.app.android&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=general_share&utm_term=rydamsx5c&utm_content=Header |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Ynet |lang=he}}</ref> once dubbed by the economic daily Globes "The only multi-millionaire in Palestine",<ref name= globes2008>{{Cite news |last=שכם |first=ארי ליבסקר |date=2008-07-23 |title=מוניב אל מסרי, המולטי-מיליונר היחיד בפלסטין: "תהיו נחמדים ותנו לנו 25% ממדינת ישראל. זה מה שמגיע לנו" |trans-title=Munib Al-Masri, the only multi-millionaire in Palestine: "Be nice and give us 25% of the State of Israel. That's what we deserve" |url=https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000364064 |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=Globes}}</ref> who called himself Yasser Arafat's "best friend".<ref name= globes2008/><ref>{{cite news |last=Ahren |first=Raphael |title=World's richest Palestinian, long a strident peace advocate, slams Israel for 'giving us crumbs' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/despite-reputation-as-peacenik-the-worlds-richest-palestinian-has-some-tough-love-for-israel/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=The Times of Israel |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> Masri was present when Arafat attended the Oslo Accords.<ref name= cbs19/><ref name= ToI16/>
Masri's great uncle is Sabih al-Masri, a prominent Jordanian-Palestinian businessman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saudi Arabia releases billionaire Sabih al-Masri |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/17/saudi-arabia-releases-billionaire-sabih-al-masri |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Al Jazeera |lang=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-01-03 |title=Corrections & Amplifications |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704735304576058082152964842 |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=Wall Street Journal |issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
== Awards and positions == Masri is the former Palestinian Chapter Chairman of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=111402476&privcapId=107354853&previousCapId=107354853&previousTitle=Massar%20International|title=Bashar Fayeq Masri: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg|last=|first=|date=|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> He was named as a "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.africaintelligence.com/MCE/businessmen/2011/02/17/bashar-masri%2C88135127-BRC-login |title=African intelligence 17/2/2011 |access-date=2018-02-22 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124537/http://www.africaintelligence.com/MCE/businessmen/2011/02/17/bashar-masri,88135127-BRC-login |url-status=dead }}</ref> Masri is on the board of trustees of An-Najah National University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.najah.edu/en/about/governance/board-trustees/|title=Board of trustees|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=}}</ref> In April 2025, Masri stepped down as a member of the Deans' Council of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University amid allegations of Hamas connections.<ref>{{cite news |title=Harvard donor sues Ivy League school for ‘spreading antisemitism’ after Gaza letter row |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/harvard-bashar-masri-israel-palestine-lawsuit-b2731303.html |work=The Independent |date=2024-04-09 |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref>
In 2018, Fortune Magazine ranked Masri #38 on its list of "The World's 50 Greatest Leaders".<ref>{{cite web|title=The World's 50 Greatest Leaders|url=http://fortune.com/longform/worlds-greatest-leaders-2018/#bashar|publisher=Fortune|accessdate=2018-05-03|date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081224052445/http://www.alpha.ps/board/bashar.html Profile]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Masri, Bashar}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Palestinian businesspeople Category:American people of Palestinian descent Category:Chemical engineers Category:Chief executives in the real estate industry Category:Palestinian chief executives Category:Palestinian company founders Category:Palestinian emigrants to the United States Category:Palestinian engineers Category:People from Nablus Category:Real estate and property developers Category:Real estate company founders Category:University of Virginia alumni