Sameer Al-Rifai سمير الرفاعي |
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Prime Minister of Jordan | |
In office 14 December 2009 – 9 February 2011 |
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Monarch | Abdullah II |
Preceded by | Nader al-Dahabi |
Succeeded by | Marouf al-Bakhit |
Personal details | |
Born |
Amman, Jordan |
1 July 1966
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater |
Harvard University Trinity College, Cambridge |
Religion | Islam |
Sameer Zaid al-Rifai (Arabic: سمير زيد الرفاعي) (born 1 July 1966) is a Jordanian politician who was Prime Minister of Jordan from 14 December 2009 to 9 February 2011. He was replaced by Marouf al-Bakhit by the king Abdullah II, following weeks of protests in the country.
Al-Rifai hails from a prominent political Jordanian family. He is the son of former Prime Minister Zaid al-Rifai and grandson of former Prime Minister Samir al-Rifai and grandson of former Prime Minister Bahjat Talhouni. Rifai received his bachelor's degree in Middle East Studies in Harvard University in 1988. He obtained his master's degree in International Relations from Cambridge University in 1989.
Samir Al-Rifai began his career working in the Royal Court in 1988. In 1999, he was appointed secretary general of the Royal Hashemite Court where he oversaw the implementation of an integrated program for restructuring the administrative and financial affairs office, also took over the Information Office and the Public Relations Department of King Abdullah II. In 2003, he was appointed minister of the Hashemite Royal Court to represent the fundamental link between the King and the Government. In April 2005,Al-Rifai was appointed adviser to the King, and continued in that position until the end of 2005.
Before assuming the position of Prime Minister, Samir Rifai worked since October 2005 as chief executive officer and founder of Jordan Dubai Capital, which began its work with registered capital of 300 million dinars. In the same period, Rifai held the position of chairman of the board of directors of Jordan Dubai energy investments and Infrastructure. Rifai also chaired the board of directors of Jordan Dubai Capital, the investment arm of Jordan Dubai Capital, in the field of financial investments, and also served as chairman of the board of directors 'Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank'. Rifai served as chairman of the board of directors of Jordan Dubai Properties Public Shareholding Co., Ltd. He also took the membership of the board of directors of The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance, Saraya Aqaba and the company 'Amlak Finance - Jordan' to finance the mortgage. Rifai is also a member of a number of councils in academic institutions, most notably the board of directors 'King's Academy' and the Academy of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh. During the years of his career, Rifai held several positions in official and government councils including chairman of the Investment Promotion Committee at the Royal Court, and chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the Amman Message, and a member of a committee to pursue interfaith dialogue, and member of the Higher Steering Committee for the peace process, and the Vice-Chairman of the Jordanian Royal Automobile Museum, and board member of King Abdullah II Award for Excellence Performance and Transparency in the public sector.