The Rafic Hariri Foundation released the following announcement: the Rafic Hariri Foundation  proclaims the appointment of Mrs. Salwa Siniora Baasiri as the Director General of the Foundation, succeeding Mr. Mostapha Zaatari who retired after being the Director General since March 1986. Over the past 26 years, Mr. Zaatari had been supervising, within the Foundation, the implementation of the vision of His Excellency Martyr Rafic Hariri as well as his developmental policy.

Accordingly and through the direct guidance of His Excellency Martyr Rafic Hariri, Mr. Zaatari worked to carry out what His Excellency Rafic Hariri had set for the Foundation of strategic objectives that were manifested nationally in the humanitarian, social, educational, and health domains.  In particular, they were translated through the provision of health care and social aid to Lebanese families all over the Lebanese territories with no discrimination of any kind.  Let alone the scholarships awarded to 34 thousand university students who were enrolled in highly reputable universities in Lebanon, United States of America, Canada and Europe.

In line with the recommendations and resolutions set by His Excellency Martyr Rafic Hariri who had attributed exceptional attention to establishing educational and academic centers and institutions and to having their role promoted in Lebanon, Mr. Zaatari was entrusted to oversee the schools that fall within the jurisdiction of the Foundation, in particular the schools Lycee Abdel Kader, Hariri High School II, and Hariri School III.  He also put into action the decision of His Excellency Martyr Rafic Hariri to establish the Rafik Hariri University that was intended to reflect the attempt to consecrate Martyr Hariri’s efforts to furnish educational and academic Lebanese youth with high academic achievements and to have them well prepared to get engaged in career life and to meet the job market needs.

The Rafic Hariri Foundation maintains today its role and responsibilities under the direct guidance of Mrs. Nazek Hariri, the President of the Foundation, thus; furthering the strategy of His Excellency Martyr Rafic Hariri.  As a first step and subsequent to the assassination of His Excellency, Mrs. Nazek Hariri converted the name of the “Hariri Foundation” into “Rafic Hariri Foundation”.  That applied to all the subsidiaries of the Foundation, the social, the health, the educational and the cultural centers being spread in all the Lebanese regions.  In so doing, Mrs. Hariri wanted to commemorate the name of His Excellency Martyr Rafic Hariri, being the founder of the foundation and the visionary, in order to have his extraordinary efforts an exemplary for national initiatives targeting a cohesive and a harmonious society.  A society that preserves the human right to live in dignity and to benefit from health care and good education, thus enabling the citizen to contribute to the building of a promising and a secure future for all.

The Rafic Hariri Foundation would like to thank Mr. Mostapha Zaatari for his efforts and would like to wish Mrs.Salwa El-Saniora Baasiri all the success in her new tasks, hoping that the Foundation will continue to be a renowned Lebanese platform that mirrors the vision of His Excellency Marty Hariri who has been always eager to the perpetual progress and wellbeing of the Lebanese society.

It should be noted that Mrs. Siniora Baasiri comes with an extended career where she assumed several key positions including:

•            Senior Economic Researcher at the Economic Commission for Western Asia(ESCWA) from 1972  to 1982
•             Director of the Directorate of Student affairs at the “Hariri Foundation” from 1983 to 1988
•            Senior Financial Manager at the Med Group for Investment from 1988 to 1998
•             The Secretary General of the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO from 1998 to 2011