Najib Alamuddine was born in Baaqleen, a town in the Shouf Qada’a, in 1909. He was the son of Judge Salim Alamuddine and Mrs. Widad Alamuddine. 

 

Najib Alamuddine pursued his elementary, intermediate and secondary education in Baaqleen before moving to the American University of Beirut where he majored in engineering and mathematics, graduating in 1928. In 1938, he completed his postgraduate studies in English education systems and political economy at the University of Exeter in England. 

 

After graduation, Alamuddine gave Arabic classes at the American University of Beirut. Later in 1933, he travelled to the Emirate of Transjordan where he taught engineering and mathematics at the University of Jordan. He was appointed ‘inspector’ at the Ministry of Education and used to move from one school to the next across the Emirate in order to assess their conditions and explore ways to improve them. His devotion to work combined with his diligence and managerial and organizational skills resulted in his appointment Inspector General for Customs, Commerce and Industry. Alamuddine stepped up the ladder of promotion until he became a controller and an inspector for several governmental administrations. 

 

In 1940, he became head of the secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office under the term of PM Toufic Abou El Hoda. Alamuddine developed strong friendship ties with Transjordan’s Emir, Prince Abdullah Bin Hussein. 

 

In 1942, he returned to Lebanon to manage Transjordan Resources Company, a company he had established and entrusted in the keeping of his brother before heading for Jordan. Najib and his brother drove the company to stellar success and earned a British honor award in recognition of their work. Alamuddine continued to climb the echelons of success until he was appointed member of the Economic Council in 1952 and represented Lebanon in several conferences. 

 

In 1951, Alamuddine was voted chairman and director of the Middle East Airlines established in 1945. He worked on promoting and improving the airline leading it towards a golden age of great expansion. Over the course of just a few years, the MEA became one of the most prominent airlines thanks to its well-structured fleet, professional crew and numerous offices worldwide. Alamuddine remained in his position as MEA’s Chairman until 1977. 

 

Alamuddine’s undisputed success in business ventures and management brought him closer to politics. On July 25, 1965, he was appointed Minister of Guidance and Information and Minister of Tourism under the Rashid Karami government. He served in this position until December 21, 1965 when he was reshuffled to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and remained in office until the resignation of the government on September 4, 1966. Alamuddine reassumed the Public Works and Transport portfolio on April 25, 1973 under the Amin Hafez government, which was recognized for hosting experts and professionals. Nevertheless, political conditions prevented its appearance before Parliament to gain confidence and it ended up resigning on July 8, 1973. 

 

Besides his personal business, MEA responsibilities and engagement in ministerial work, Najib Alamuddine joggled numerous simultaneous tasks. He was member of the National Council for Tourism Development, the International Aviation Organization and the AUB’s Board of Trustees in Lebanon in 1964. He was also head of the Alumni Association of the AUB in 1967 and 1973. Alamuddine left Lebanon during the Civil War period and settled in London where he published The Storm and his biography entitled The Flying Sheikh in 1987.

 

He married a Swiss woman and had four  children with her: Makram (b.1944) Karim (b.1947), Ida (b.1947) and Rima who passed away. 

 

He died on June 11, 1996 and was buried in Lebanon.

 

Author Salam Rassi quotes Alamuddine as saying:

“Lebanon is now home to a patchwork of people, not to one united Lebanese people. A patchwork of people and one united people are two different things. The united people has common rights and assumes common duties. In Lebanon though, there are roughly twenty sects, each of them has a distinct personal status law and unique doctrines, traditions and rituals; even in clothing, each sect dons different costumes. 

“For this reason, there are not in Lebanon currently any joint stock company bringing together shareholders from different sects; if there was any such company, it would be made up of brothers or at the very best of partners sharing a common sect...“


This patchwork of people cannot form one united people and one community; how could it ever then form a state where everyone finds equal refuge!”
“For this reason, there are not in Lebanon currently any joint stock company bringing together shareholders from different sects; if there was any such company, it would be made up of brothers or at the very best of partners sharing a common sect... For this reason, the Lebanese are distinguished for their uniqueness; they succeed as individuals, not as a community. 

The Lebanese, in their current condition, fail to establish a joint stock company in the fullest sense of the word; how can I reassure them with respect to the coherence of their community and their solidarity in defending their common rights?”