Assad Rizk

Rizk was born in Beirut on 23 July 1931.^[1][2] He hailed from a Greek Catholic family.^[3] His father, Toufic, was a surgeon.^[2]

Rizk obtained a degree in medicine from the Saint Joseph University in the late 1950s and completed his medical training at a urology clinic in Paris.^[2][4]

Following his return to Lebanon Rizk taught courses on urology at the Saint Joseph University from the mid-1960s.^[4] He retired from his teaching post in the mid-1990s.^[4] Then he was named as an emeritus professor.^[4] He established the Rizk Hospital which was later named as Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital.^[4]

Cabinet posts

Rizk was named as minister of social affairs and labour and minister education on 9 December 1976 to the cabinet led by Salim Hoss.^[3] Rizk was also appointed minister of oil and industry on 20 December 1978 in a cabinet reshuffle.^[2] He succeeded Selim Hoss in the post who had been serving as minister of petroleum and minister of industry since 9 December 1976.^[3] Rizk's term in all offices ended on 16 July 1979 when a new cabinet was formed by Selim Hoss.^[5]

Rizk was named as the minister of industry and petroleum in 1992 and served in the cabinet led by Rafic Hariri until 1995.^[6] Rizk served as the minister of justice in 2005.^[2] The same year he also acted as an interim minister of culture and interim minister of education and higher education.^[2]

Rizk married Colette Le Breton in 1959.^[2] They had three sons: Toufic, Fady and Sami.^[2]

Rizk died on 11 December 2020.^[1]

Rizk was awarded the Knight rank of the Legion of Honour.^[4] He was also recipient of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.^[2]