Salim Haidar

Following his graduation Haidar returned to Lebanon and became a public prosecutor in 1938 and an investigative judge in 1943.^[3] He began to serve as an advisor at the Court of Appeal from 1945.^[3] He was named as the ambassador of Lebanon to Iran in 1946.^[3]

Haidar was appointed minister of defense to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Khaled Chehab on 30 September 1952.^[5][6] Haidar's term lasted until 6 February 1953 when he resigned from the post.^[7] He was first elected to the Parliament from his hometown in the 1953 elections ousting his cousin Ibrahim Haidar who had been serving at the Parliament for thirty years.^[8] Following his election as a deputy Salim Haidar involved in drafting the Lebanon's first anti-corruption law in 1953.^[4] On 16 September 1953 he was appointed minister of agriculture and minister of telegraph and telephone to the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sami Solh.^[3] Haidar's term lasted until 17 September 1955.^[3]

During the turmoil in Lebanon in 1958 Haidar was part of the anti-government coalition.^[1] He was appointed ambassador of Lebanon to Morocco in 1958 and to the Soviet Union in 1963.^[3] In 1968 he was again elected as a deputy.^[3]

In addition to his political activities Haidar also published books on Arabic literature and poetry.^[2] He was married to Samiha Suleiman Haidar with whom he had three children: Hayyan Haidar, a civil engineer,^[4] Hassan and Hammad.^[3] Salim Haidar died on 3 October 1980.^[3][4]