Minister of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, H.E. Abbas El Halabi is a former judge and legal advisor. He serves as President of the Arab Group for Muslim-Christian Dialogue and is a member of the National Committee of Muslim-Christian Dialogue in Lebanon. He has held prominent positions, including President of the Culture Commission at the General Conference of UNESCO during its 40th session and President of the Faculty of Law and Political Science Alumni Association. He is also a founding member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Druze Community Health Establishment – Ain W Zein Medical Village. Additionally, he has served as the Druze Community representative at the Synod for Lebanon and is a counselor at the Taïf Conference.
El Halabi has published numerous articles and studies for local and regional newspapers and periodicals on public, political, intellectual, economic, financial, legal and banking affairs. His works include About Dialogue, Reconciliation and Civil Peace (2001) and Le Dialogue interreligieux : le Contexte Arabe et l’Exemple Libanais (2007), published by the USJ Institute of Muslim-Christian Studies. He also wrote a banking and legal study entitled Banking Secrecy in Lebanon Fighting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (2002), and three works published by Dar An-Nahar: Les Druzes: Vivre avec l’avenir (2005), The Druze: Culture, History and Mission (in Arabic, 2008) and الدولة وبناء الأديان حوار (2009). In 2015, his book The Druze, a New Cultural and Historical Appreciation written in English was published in London by Garnet – Ithaca, and in 2017, الرسالة من أجل لبنان was published by Dar Nelson.