Mustafa Ben Halim

This biographical article is written encyclopedic . (May 2023)

Mustafa Ahmed Ben Halim (

Ben Halim returned to Libya in 1950 to help with the reconstruction of the country following the Second World War and subsequent Allied occupation of Libya. He was appointed Minister of Public Works in Libya's first government in 1953. At the age of 33, he was appointed prime minister in 1954, a position he held until 1957. During his time as prime minister, Ben Halim supported the growth and development of modern-day Libya. He helped draft Libya's petroleum laws which ultimately led to the discovery of oil in 1959. Under his leadership, the Libyan oil sector was divided into a smaller number of concessions to support competition in the Libyan oil sector. Ben Halim also founded the University of Libya and the Central Bank of Libya.

As prime minister, Ben Halim prioritized building relationships and alliances with the West, notably Great Britain, the United States, and France. Due to these relationships, Ben Halim was able to secure aid for Libya from Great Britain and the United States at a time of heightened

From 1957 to 1958, Ben Halim served as the Private Councillor to King Idris. He was later appointed Libyan Ambassador to France from 1958 to 1960 during which time he helped negotiate the French/Algerian truce between the FLN and the French Government.^[5]

Ben Halim returned to Tripoli and left public service in 1960 to start his own construction business. He set up the Libyan Company for Engineering and Construction (Libeco) with the U.S. company

Between 1964 and 1968, Ben Halim served as an informal advisor to King Idris on institutional reforms which were proposed during his term as prime minister. Due to ongoing political pressure from special interest groups, the reforms were not fully implemented. In 1969, Ben Halim was on a family holiday in Switzerland when Muammar Gaddafi staged his coup. After Gaddafi took power, Ben Halim was unable to return to Libya.^[6] Over the next 15 years, Ben Halim was tried in absentia by the "People's Tribunal" for allegedly "corrupting political life".

Life in exile and return

Unable to return to Libya, Ben Halim briefly settled in London where he and his family were granted political asylum. He then moved to Beirut, Lebanon in 1970 to pursue new business ventures, including helping Consolidated Contractors Company negotiate sub-contracting agreements with the Bechtel Corporation, one of the largest civil engineering firms in the world.^[7] In 1973 a failed kidnapping attempt by mercenaries hired by Colonel Gaddafi forced him to relocate his family to London. In the years that followed, there were several assassination attempts made on Ben Halim's life which were foiled by British Intelligence.^[8]

Ben Halim was granted

• Ben Halim's eldest son, Amr Ben Halim, is the Founder and a board member of Al Yusr Industrial Contracting Company.[10] He also founded the Forum for Democratic Libya after the revolution in February 2011 to promote and advocate a culture of democracy. He has also supported other civil society organisations which aim to have a positive impact in post revolution Libya.
• Hany Ben Halim is a real estate developer and investor
• Arab region's first venture philanthropy organisation, in 2004, after a career in investment banking. Tarek went back to Libya in 2005/6 to support Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
  in his attempts to bring about political reform. Tarek then resigned in 2008, as he was disenchanted with the lack of true intent to reform, and died in December 2009.
• Ahmed Ben Halim co-founded The Capital Partnership, an investment management firm, in 1998 following a career in banking and investment industries. He is also the founder and Chairman of Libya Holdings Group, an investment company focused on the development of Libya's energy, infrastructure and financial sectors.[11]^[12]
• Abir Challah née Abir Ben Halim
• Sherine Ben Halim Jafar^[13] is an author. Her book "Under the Copper Covers", a culinary journey through North Africa and Middle East was published in 2015 by Rimal Publications

He turned 100 on 29 January 2021 and died on 7 December 2021.^[14][15]

Honours

• Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Idris I

Literature

• Libya: The Years of Hope - The Memoirs of Mustafa Ahmed Ben-Halim - Former Prime Minister of Libya,
  ISBN 0-9532961-0-5
• "Libya's Hidden Pages of History: A Memoir - صفحات مطوية من تاريخ ليبيا السياسي" Rimal Publications, 2011 (Arabic Edition) Archived 29 December 2016 at the
  ISBN 9789963610761
• "Libya's Hidden Pages of History: A Memoir" Rimal Publications, 2013 (English Edition)
• Dictionary of Modern Arab History, an A-Z of over 2,000 entries from 1798 to the Present Day, by Robin Leonard Bidwell

References