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Tarek Ben Halim | |
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| Born | 4 December 1955 Tripoli, Libya |
| Died | 11 December 2009 (2009-12-12) (aged 54) London, England |
| Occupation | Investment banker |
| Known for | Founder of Alfanar |
| Spouse | Cynthia Oakes |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Mustafa Ben Halim |
| Relatives | John Bertram Oakes (father-in-law) |
Tarek Ben Halim (4 December 1955 – 11 December 2009) was aLibyan investment banker and social investor focused on social-sector projects. He founded Alfanar, the Arabventure philanthropy organization. He left the banking sector in 2000.[1]
Ben Halim was born on 4 December 1955 inTripoli, Libya. His mother, Yusra Kanaan, was of Palestinian descent, and his father, Mustafa Ahmed Ben Halim, was a Libyan of Egyptian descent.Mustafa Ben Halim served as the prime minister of Libya from 1954 to 1957 and as the Libyan ambassador to France from 1958 to 1960.[2][3]
Following the 1969 coup that broughtMuammar Gaddafi to power, the family left Libya. They moved toBeirut and later settled in London. He attendedAtlantic College in Wales and studied finance at theUniversity of Warwick. He later received an MBA fromHarvard Business School.[4]
Ben Halim worked in investment banking atJP Morgan,Credit Suisse First Boston, andGoldman Sachs, where he became a managing director. In 2000, he oversaw the $2 billion flotation ofTurkcell, which at the time was reportedly the largest emerging-marketIPO .[5][6] In a February 2003 commentary forThe Los Angeles Times, he criticized Arab governments for being “self‑serving, unrepresentative governments that have, with few exceptions, ruled the Arab world since the 19th century.” He expressed hope that removing Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq would usher in broader leadership changes across the region. He also volunteered to work with British forces.[7]
After being appointed deputy director of private sector development within theCoalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Halim said he disagreed with what he perceived as the CPA’s emphasis on short‑term gains rather than establishing a sustainable framework to last beyond its tenure. He resigned after several months.[8]
In 2004 Tarek Ben Halim foundedAlfanar (meaning "lighthouse" in Arabic), an organization which supports the development of civil society in theArab world by promoting organizations that address long-term community needs in disadvantaged areas.[9]
Tarek Ben Halim died from brain cancer on 11 December 2009 at the age of 54. He was married to Cynthia Oakes, aPrinceton graduate and daughter of U.S. journalistJohn Bertram Oakes.[10] In his obituary,The Guardian described him as "a man of high principle and humour".[11]