Leila Al Solh

Leila Al Solh (; born 1946) is the vice president of Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation and a former Lebanese minister of industry. Early life and education Born in Beirut in 1946, Leila Al Solh is the youngest daughter of the late former Lebanese Prime Minister Riad Al Solh. She is the aunt of Al Waleed bin Talal. She studied at the department of oriental studies of Saint Joseph University, Beirut. Career Leila Al Solh served as the minister of industry in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Omar Karami from 2004 to 2005, making her one of the early woman ministers in Lebanon. Al Solh is the vice president of Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Lebanon since its establishment in August 2003. Under her management, the foundation realized many activities to support for education, health and social organisations throughout the country. Political views Leila Al Solh published an article in the Lebanese daily An Nahar on 20 March 2001, criticising the Syrian government. She argued that Bashar Assad shares his father's (Hafez Assad's) ambition to control Lebanon. She further claimed that the differences between Bashar and Hafez Assad are that Bashar Assad is much more interested in "the investments of Lebanon's tycoons" than the land of Lebanon itself and that he attempts to eliminate foreign criticism by changing the locus of Syrian control from the "army to the [security] agencies." On the other hand, Solh announced her support for the extension of president Emile Lahoud's term in 2004.