Muhammad al-Imadi

Muhammad al-Imadi was a Syrian technocrat and economist who played an important role in developing the national economy and enhancing its role in various fields. He was born in Damascus on August 31, 1930, to a prominent family. He studied law at the University of Damascus and then went to New York University on a government scholarship to pursue his PhD in economics. He married Mildred Elaine Rippey, an American woman, in 1956 and had three children with her. He returned to Syria in 1960 and joined the Ministry of Planning. He rose to the position of Deputy Minister of Planning by 1968. He also taught a course on the Economics of War to several generals, including Hafez al-Assad. He was appointed as the Minister of State for Planning Affairs in 1972 and then as the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade in 1976. He chaired the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group Annual Meetings in 1976. He left his ministerial post in 1979 to become the President of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, but was asked to return to Syria in 1985 to resume his role as the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade. He remained in this position until 2001, making him the longest-serving minister in Syria's history. He introduced several economic reforms and policies that aimed to liberalize the Syrian economy and stabilize the value of the Syrian pound. He also handled many domestic and foreign relations files and enjoyed the political confidence of Assad. He was replaced by Ghassan al-Rifa'i in 2001, but continued to work professionally at various establishments, including an orphanage for Syrian children. He died on June 29, 2022, at the age of 91, in Damascus. He was mourned by the Syrian government and many economic and political figures. He was considered one of the most influential and respected economists in the Arab world and a faithful servant of his country.