Ghazi Aridi

Ghazi Aridi (born 17 October 1954) is a Lebanese politician who has held various cabinet portfolios. He was the minister of public works and transportation from 13 June 2011 to December 2013.

Early life Aridi was born into a Druze family in Baisour on 17 September 1954. Aridi studied physics at Lebanese University.

Career Aridi is a physics teacher by education and worked in a high school in Aley before dealing with politics. In 1980, he began to serve as a special envoy of the Lebanese National Movement (LNM). He became assistant secretary of the PSP in 1983. In 1991, Aridi began to serve as political advisor of Walid Jumblatt. He was part of the Hariri's electoral list, called Beirut Al Karama (Beirut Dignity).

Aridi was first appointed minister of information to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in October 2000. Aridi served in the post until April 2003. Then he served as the minister of culture in Hariri’s fifth cabinet from 17 April 2003 to 7 September 2004.

Aridi, together with three other cabinet ministers, namely then economy minister Marwan Hamadeh, environment minister Farès Boueiz and refugee affairs minister Abdullah Farhat, resigned from office on 7 September in protest of constitutional amendment that extended the term of then president Emile Lahoud. They were among the members of the Lebanese parliament, who voted against the extension of Lahoud's term. The State Minister Karam Karam replaced Aridi as acting culture minister. In the general elections of 2005, Aridi ran for office on Jumblatt's list and won a seat from the third district of Beirut.

Later Aridi served as the minister of information in Fouad Siniora's cabinet until 2008. Next, he was appointed minister of public works and transportation to the cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in July 2008.

Aridi won a seat from the third district of Beirut in the 2009 general election as part of the 14 March alliance list. He continued to serve as minister of public works and transportation in the Saad Hariri cabinet from 2009 to 2011. In the cabinet, he was a member of democratic gathering and majority alliance.

Aridi was again appointed to the same post on 13 June 2011 in the Najib Mikati's cabinet. As a member of the Progressive Socialist Party, he was one of the three ministers appointed the party's leader Walid Jumblatt in the cabinet. In other words, Aridi was part of the National Struggle Front in the cabinet. He resigned from the post in December 2013.

Alliances and views Aridi is one of the most significant aides of Walid Jumblatt.