List of Arabs

This is a list of notable Arab figures.

Public figures and politicians

• Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed
• Anwar Sadat
• Bashar Al-Assad, Syrian President
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Carlos Menem (born 1930) President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999
• Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1904–1975) King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975
• Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918–1970) Second president of Egypt
• George J. Mitchell, (Lebanese) United States of America special envoy to the Middle East under the Obama administration, U.S. senator from Maine, Senate Majority Leader.
• Hanan Ashrawi (born 1946), Palestinian legislator
• Harun al-Rashid (763–809), Fifth Abbasid caliph
• Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah
• Hassan II (1929–1999), king of Morocco
• Hassan al-Turabi (born c. 1932), Sudanese religious and political leader
• Hafez Al-Assad, former Syrian President
• Hosni Mubarak, former President of Egypt
• Ibn Saud (1876–1953), first king of Saudi Arabia
• John E. Sununu (Palestinian), senator from New Hampshire
• John H. Sununu (Palestinian), Governor of New Hampshire and White House Chief of Staff under George H. W. Bush.
• Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and 2nd president of the United Arab Emirates
• Mitch Daniels (Assyrian), governor of Indiana.
• Mohammed V (1909–1961), Sultan, then king of Morocco
• Mohammed VI (born 1963), king of Morocco
• Mohamed ElBaradei (born 1942), Egyptian, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1997 to 2009
• Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan crown prince of Abu Dhabi and brother of Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Muammar al-Gaddafi (born 1942), former Libyan leader
• Muhammad Abduh
• Muhammad Husayn Haykal
• Muhammad Naguib, President of Egypt
• Mustafa Kamil Pasha
• Mustafa Wahbi (1919–1971) Jordanian poet, lawyer, teacher, judge, political agitator and philosipher
• Nadya Suleman (Iraqi father), "Octomom"
• Nick Rahall (Lebanese), congressman from West Virginia.
• Omar al-Bashir (born 1944) President of Sudan
• Osama bin Laden (1957–2011) Founder of al-Qaeda
• Qasim Amin
• Rifa'a el-Tahtawi
• Rosemary Barkett (Syrian), first woman Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice for the state of Florida.
• Saad Zaghlul
• Saddam Hussein (former Iraqi president)
• Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman Al Saud (1902–1969) Second king of Saudi Arabia
• Selwa Roosevelt (Lebanese), former Chief of Protocol of the United States and wife of the late Archibald Bulloch Roosevelt, Jr., grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt.
• Spencer Abraham (Lebanese), senator from Michigan and Secretary of Energy under Bush.
• Steve Bracks (born 1954), Lebanese Australian politician
• Talaat Pasha Harb
• Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (682–720), notable Umayyad Caliph
• Yasser Arafat, (1929–2004) Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize.
• Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918–2004), president of UAE from 1971 to 2004
• Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (born 1949), prime minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai

Military

• Abdel Ghani el-Gamasy
• Abdullah ibn Aamir (622–678), Rashidun Arab general
• 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah (?–629), Arab general
• Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (583–638), Rashidun Arab military commander
• Ahnaf ibn Qais (?–660), Rashidun Arab military commander
• Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha, Rashidun Arab general
• Al-Qa'qa'a ibn Amr at-Tamimi, Rashidun Arab general
• Amr bin Al'aas (592–664), Rashidun Arab Armilitary commander
• Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl (?–636), Rashidun Arab general
• Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (567–625), Muslim general, also known as "Lion of God"
• Hashim ibn Utbah, Rashidun Arab general
• Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman(?–656), Rashidun Arab general
• Khalid ibn al-Walid (592–642), Rashidun Arab military commander, also known as "sayf Allah" (Sword of God)
• George Joulwan (Lebanese), retired general, former NATO commander-in-chief
• John Abizaid (Lebanese), retired general
• Mavia, Warrior queen
• Mohammed ash-Sheikh (1490/1491–1557), first sultan of the Moroccan Saadi dynasty
• An-Numan ibn Muqarrin (?–641), Rashidun Arab general
• Omar Nasiri, Moroccan spy
• Saad el-Shazly (1922–2011), Egypt's chief of staff during the October War
• Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (595–674), Rashidun Arab military commander
• Saladin (1137–1193), first Sultan of Egypt and Syria and founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Sultan of Mesopotamia, Hejaz, Yemen, and parts of North Africa.
• Shurhabil ibn Hasana (583-639), Rashidun Arab general
• Ubayda ibn as-Samit, Rashidun Arab general
• Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan (?–640), Rashidun Arab general
• Zayd ibn Harithah, Arab general
• Zenobia, Arab general
• Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (594–656), Rashidun Arab general

Activists

• Abnaa el-Balad
• Al-Ard
• Dahlia Wasfi
• Harith al-Dhari
• Jamal al-Dhari
• Ralph Nader, (Lebanese) consumer advocate, politician, first Arab American to run for President of the United States.
• Salem Hanna Khamis
• Toujan al-Faisal
• Ibtihal Al-Khatib
• Islah Jad
• James Zogby, (Lebanese) founder and president of the Arab American Institute.
• Umar al-Tilmisani, The third General Guide (Murshid al-'Am) of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers
• Zainab Salbi, (Iraqi), co-founder and president of Women for Women International.

Religious figures

• Muhammad (570 or 571–632), messenger and prophet of Islam
• Abu Bakr, Companion of Muhammad and First Caliph
• Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah
• Aisha (d.678) Third wife of Muhammad, the daughter of the first caliph Abu Bakr, and narrator of many hadith
• Ali ibn Abi Talib (c. 599–661) Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad and Fourth Caliph, according to Shi'a Muslims, his successor
• Hafsa bint Umar Wife of Muhammad and the daughter of the second caliph Omer ibn Alkatab
• Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (555–619), first wife of Muhammad
• Muadh ibn Jabal
• Mus'ab ibn Umair (594/598–625), first ambassador of Islam
• Saeed ibn Zaid
• Sidi Mahrez Tunisian Wali, scholar of the Maliki school
• Umar ibn al-Khattab, Companion of Muhammad and Second Caliph
• Uthman ibn Affan, Companion of Muhammad and Third Caliph
• Zayd ibn Thabit, the personal scribe of Muhammad and was assigned the role of authenticating and collecting the oral Quranic traditions into a single bounded volume

Scientific and academic figures

Mathematics, physics and chemistry

• Ahmed ibn Yusuf (835–912), mathematician
• Ibn Tahir al-Baghdadi (980–1037), arithmetician
• Ibrahim ibn Sinan (908–946), mathematician and astronomer in Baghdad
• Al-Uqlidisi (920–980), author of two works on arithmetic. He may have anticipated the invention of decimals.
• Al-Umawi (1400–1489), mathematician who wrote works on mensuration and arithmetic.
• Al-Zarqali (1028–1087), influential early mathematician and astronomer
• Ahmed Zewail (born 1946) Egyptian-American scientist, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Farouk El-Baz (born 1938) Egyptian scientist
• Charles Elachi, Lebanese director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Fawwaz T. Ulaby, Syrian winner of the 2006 IEEE Edison Medal and former Vice President of Research for the University of Michigan.
• George A. Doumani, geologist whose explorations helped prove the theory of continental drift.
• Ali ibn Ridwan (c. 988 – c. 1061), astronomer and geometer with Khalid Ben Abdulmelik.
• Muhammad al-Fazari credited with building the first astrolabe in the Islamic world.

Biology and medicine

• Abd el-Latif el-Baghdadi (1162–1231). physician, historian and Egyptologist.
• Elias Zerhouni (Algerian) current director of the National Institutes of Health.
• Ibn Zuhr (1091–1161), prominent physician and parasitologist
• Michael DeBakey
• Ibn Abi Usaibia (1203–1270, Damascus, Syria), an Arab physician and Historian. He wrote Uyun al-Anba fi Tabaqat al-Atibba or Lives of the Physicians.
• Al-Zahrawi (936–1013), influential medieval surgeon and author.
• Al-Asma'i (739–831), pioneer of Zoology, Botany and Animal Husbandry.
• Afif Abdul Wahab, doctor surgeon
• Nayef Al-Rodhan, neuroscientist, philosopher and geostrategist
• Sami Ibrahim Haddad, doctor, surgeon and writer
• Wafaa El-Sadr, director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs

Engineering

• Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, architect
• Hassan Fathy (1900–1989), noted Egyptian architect
• Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah (1895–1935), early electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and inventor.
• Rifat Chadirji, architect
• Suad Amiry, architect
• Zaha Hadid (born 1950), British-Iraqi architect

Humanities and social sciences

• Edward Said (1935–2003) Palestinian-American literary theorist.
• Ella Shohat, Professor of Cultural Studies at New York University, author and lecturer.
• Ibn Wahshiyya (fl. 9th century/10th century) One of the first historians to partly decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs.
• Jack Shaheen, emeritus professor of mass communications at Southern Illinois University and author.
• Nada Shabout (born 1962) Iraqi American art historian, lecturer, author.
• Sasson Somekh (born 1933) Professor emeritus of Modern Arab Literature at Tel Aviv University.
• Usamah ibn Munqidh (1095–1188, Damascus, Syria), an Arab historian, politician, and diplomat.

Philosophy

• Ibn Hazm (994–1064) Andalusian philosopher
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, philosopher, researcher, and veteran practitioner of financial mathematics
• Nayef Al-Rodhan, philosopher, neuroscientist and geostrategist

Traveling

• Ahmad ibn Fadlan (10th century, Baghdad, Iraq) traveler; member of an embassy of the Caliph of Baghdad.
• Ibn Majid (1421–c.1500) Arabian navigator

Writing

• Ahmad al-Qalqashandi (1355 - 1418) writer
• Abbas Ibn al-Ahnaf (750–809) (عباس بن الأحنف)
• Iliyya Abu Madi, (d. 1957)
• Layla al-Akhyaliyyah, (d. 704)
• Abu-l-'Atahiya, (d. 828)
• Muhyi al-din ibn al-'Arabi, (d. 1240)
• Abdullah ibn al-Mu'tazz (861–908)
• Abd Al-Rahman Abnudi (b. 1938)
• Abdel latif Moubarak (b. 1964)
• Abdul Rahman Yusuf (b. 1970)
• Abo Al Qassim Al Shabbi
• Abu-l-'Atahiya (748–828)
• Al-Mutanabbi (915–965)
• Abu 'Afak (7th Century)
• Abu Tammam (c. 805–845)
• Abbas Al Akkad (1889–1964)
• Adunis (b. 1928–)
• Ali Al Jallawi (b. 1975–)
• al-Akhtal (c. 640–710)
• Maymun Ibn Qays Al-a'sha (570–625)
• Muhammed Almagut (1934–2006)
• Al-Rabi ibn Abu al-Huqayq (7th Century)
• 'Alqama ibn 'Abada (6th century)
• Ibn Ammar (c. 1031–1086)
• Amr ibn Kulthum (6th century)
• 'Antara Ibn Shaddad (d. c. 580)
• Asma bint Marwan
• Abu Layla al-Muhalhel
• Antarah ibn Shaddad
• Ibn Hawqal (943-969, Iraq) writer
• Imru' al-Qais
• Al-Khansa
• Al-A'sha
• Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma
• Amr ibn Kulthum
• Harith ibn Hilliza Al-Yashkuri
• Labīd
• Tarafa
• Al-Nabigha

Mathematics

• Avempace (1085- 1138) Polymath
• Ahmed ibn Yusuf (835, Baghdad - 912, Egypt) mathematician
• Al-Battani (850, Harran, Turkey - 929, Qasr al-Jiss, Iraq) mathematician
• Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn Matar (786-833) mathematician
• Al- Jawhari (800 - 860, Baghdad) mathematician
• Thabit ibn Qurra (826-902, Harran, Turkey) mathematician

Other

• Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (936–1013) Andalusian scientist; also known as Abulcasis
• Alhazen (965–c.1039) Scientist from Basra (modern Iraq)
• Al-Jazari (1136–1206) Polymath from Al-Jazira (modern Iraq/Syria)
• Christa McAuliffe, Arab American: schoolteacher/astronaut who lost her life aboard the space shuttle Challenger
• Fatima al-Fihri (d. 880) founder of the University of Qarawiyyin, Morocco
• Taqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf (1526–1585) Polymath from Damascus
• Ibn al-Haytham (Alhacen) (965, Basra, Buyid Emirate - 1040, Cairo, Egypt) polymath and philosopher.
• Wasil ibn Ata (700-748) theologian and jurist
• Al-Kindi (801, Basra, Iraq - 873, Baghdad, Iraq) philosopher, polymath, mathematician, physician and musician.

Cultural figures

Film, TV, radio, and stage

• Alia Shawkat, (Iraqi father) actress
• Anissa Jones, (Lebanese maternal grandparents) actress Family Affair.
• Casey Kasem, (Lebanese) radio personality and voice actor.
• Danny Nucci, (Moroccan mother) actor.
• Danny Thomas, (Lebanese) actor and his daughter Marlo Thomas, actress.
• Duraid Lahham (born 1934) Syrian Comedian and director
• Fawaz Gerges, (Lebanese) ABC analyst and regular guest on Oprah's Anti-war series.
• George Noory, (Lebanese) radio host, host of Coast To Coast AM with George Noory.
• Haifa Wehbe, Lebanese former beauty pageant contestant, singer and actress
• Jamie Farr, (Lebanese) Hollywood actor especially famous for his role as Klinger (also Lebanese) in the TV series "M*A*S*H".
• Kathy Najimy, (Lebanese) actress in many American films that include Sister Act.
• Michael Ansara, (Syriac), actor.
• Moustapha Akkad, (Syrian) film producer and director
• Mahmoud Darwish, (1941–2008), Palestinian poet and author.
• Omar Sharif (born 1932) Egyptian actor
• Ronnie Khalil, (Egyptian) stand-up comedian.
• Sanaa Hamri, (Moroccan) music video and movie director; her films include the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
• Shannon Elizabeth, (Syrian father) actress.
• Tony Shalhoub, (Lebanese) executive producer and actor of Monk.
• Vic Tayback, (Syrian), actor.
• Vince Vaughn, (partially Lebanese) actor.
• Wendie Malick, (Egyptian), actress and fashion model
• Wentworth Miller, (Part Syrian/Lebanese) actor.
• Hoda Kotb, (Egyptian) television news personality for Dateline NBC and the Today Show.
• Hala Gorani, (Syrian) CNN International news correspondent.
• Yousef Abu-Taleb, (Jordanian) actor lonelygirl15, Film Producer
• Susie Gharib, co-anchor of the Nightly Business Report, 100 most influential business journalists.
• Hala Gorani, (Syrian) journalist and anchor of CNN's International Desk.
• Remy Munasifi, (Iraqi father/Lebanese mother) comedian also known as GoRemy
• Salma Hayek, (Lebanese), Actress, director and producer
• Sean Yazbeck, (Lebanese), winner of Donald Trumps 'The Apprentice', NBC (2006)
• Samer al-Masry,(Syrian), Famous actor.

Musicians

• Amr Diab, Egyptian singer and composer of geel music
• Ahmed Mekky, (Egyptian) rapper and singer
• Asmahan, (Syrian) singer and actress
• Fairuz, (born 1935) Lebanese singer
• Frank Zappa, (half Arab father) musician
• Fredwreck, (Palestinian) hip-hop producer
• French Montana (Moroccan) rapper
• Haifa Wehbe, (Lebanese) singer
• Hamada Ben Mansour, (Tunisian) rapper
• Karl Wolf, (Lebanese) singer
• Cheb Khaled (Algerian) raï musician
• DJ Khaled, (Palestinian) rapper, music producer
• La Fouine, (Moroccan) rapper, singer-songwriter
• Lydia Canaan, (Lebanese) singer-songwriter, recording artist
• Maryem Tollar, (Egyptian) singer who primarily sings Arabic songs.
• Massari, (Lebanese) singer
• Naser Mestarihi, (Jordanian father) Hard rock musician
• Nancy Ajram (Lebanese) singer
• Omar Khorshid (Egyptian), instrumental guitarist
• Paul Anka, (Lebanese) singer-songwriter.
• RedOne, (Moroccan) singer-songwriter, music producer
• Sammy Hagar, (partially Lebanese) rock musician and former lead singer of Van Halen
• Shadia Mansour,(Palestinian) singer and rapper
• Shakira, (half Lebanese), singer
• Umm Kulthum (c.1900–1975) Egyptian singer
• Wafah Dufour, (Saudi Arabian Father) supermodel and singer

Writers

• Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad (1889–1964), Egyptian thinker and writer
• Charles Corm (Lebanese) (1894-1963) Writer, businessman and philanthropist
• Abdel Rahman Shokry (b. 1886), Egyptian poet
• Al-Khansa (7th century) Arabian poetess
• Al-Mutanabbi (915–965) Poet from Samawah (modern Iraq)
• Amin Maalouf (born 1949) Lebanese author
• Antarah ibn Shaddad (fl.580) Pre-Islamic Arabian hero and poet
• Roger Achkar (born 1974) Lebanese writer.
• Fadwa Touqan (1917–2003) Palestinian Poet, known for her representations of resistance to Israeli occupation in contemporary Arab poetry
• Ibrahim Touqan (1905–1941) Palestinian Poet and college professor
• Imru' al-Qais (c.501–c.544) Arabian poet
• Khalil Gibran or Gibran Khalil Gibran, (1883–1931) Lebanese-American writer, philosopher, and painter.
• Chaker Khazaal (b. 1987), Palestinian Canadian novelist, public speaker, activist
• Naguib Mahfouz (1911–2006) Egyptian novelist
• Naomi Shihab Nye (born 1952) Palestinian-American writer.
• Sinan Antoon (born 1967) Iraqi poet and novelist.
• Taha Hussein (1889–1973) Egyptian writer
• Edward Said, (Palestinian) literary theorist and outspoken Palestinian activist.
• Helen Thomas, (Lebanese) reporter, columnist and White House correspondent.
• Nader El-Bizri, (Lebanese) philosopher, historian of science, and architect.
• Ismail al-Faruqi, (Palestinian) philosopher and authority on Islam and comparative religion.
• Ahmad ibn Khalid al-Nasiri, Moroccan writer
• Mona Simpson, (Syrian father Abdulfattah Jandali) novelist.
• Lorraine Ali, (Iraqi) reporter, editor, culture writer, and music critic for Newsweek.
• Mohamed Ali al-Nasiri, Iraqi journalist
• Mohammed al-Makki al-Nasiri, Moroccan writer
• Albert Memmi, Tunisian writer.
• Wafaa Abed Al Razzaq (born 1952), Iraqi poet and writer

Artists

See list of Arab artists

Fashion

• Elie Saab (born 1964), Lebanese fashion designer
• Zuhair Murad, fashion designer
• Frederic Fekkai, hair stylist
• Joseph Abboud, menswear designer
• Reem Acra, Lebanese fashion designer
• Georges Chakra, Lebanese fashion designer

Other

• Rima Fakih (Lebanese), Miss USA 2010
• Valerie Domínguez Tarud (Lebanese), previous Miss Colombia
• Dina Azar, Miss Lebanon 1995
• Gabrielle Bou Rached, Miss Lebanon 2005
• Sonia Fares, Miss Lebanon 1969
• Nadine Njeim, Miss Lebanon 2007
• Georgina Rizk (born 1953) Miss Lebanon 1970/Miss Universe 1971
• Christina Sawaya, Miss Lebanon 2001/Miss International 2002
• Rosarita Tawil, Miss Lebanon 2008

Entrepreneurs

• Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1968–2010) Emirati businessman
• Al-Waleed bin Talal (born 1955) Member of the Saudi royal family, and world's 19th richest person in 2010
• Carlos Slim (born 1940) Mexican businessman and world's wealthiest person (April 2010)
• Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. (Syrian father Abdulfattah Jandali).
• Qais Al Khonji, (Omani) Founder of Genesis Projects and Investments.
• John Zogby, (Lebanese) founder and current President/CEO of Zogby International.
• Naguib Sawiris, 62nd richest person on earth in a 2007 list of billionaires, reaching US$10.0 billion with his company Orascom Telecom Holding
• Najeeb Halaby, (Syrian) father of Queen Noor of Jordan Lisa Elhalabi, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. CEO, and chairman of Pan Am.
• Manuel Moroun, owner of CenTra, Inc., the holding company which controls the Ambassador Bridge and Michigan Central Depot.
• Jacques Nasser, (Lebanese) former president and CEO of .
• John J. Mack, (Lebanese) Chairman of the Board and CEO of Morgan Stanley.
• Charles Corm, (Lebanese) Exclusive agent of over 50 major US brands including Ford Motor Company.
• Ray R. Irani, (Palestinian) Chairman and CEO of Occidental Petroleum.
• Carlos Ghosn, (Lebanese) Chairman and CEO of Renault and Nissan.

Sports

• Ahmed Kaddour, (Lebanese) professional boxer, from NBC show The Contender
• Alaa Abdelnaby, NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Sacramento Kings
• Bill George, NFL player and Hall of Famer
• Drew Haddad, of the Indianapolis Colts
• Doug Flutie, (Lebanese father) NFL Player of the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers.
• Gavin Maloof, own the Sacramento Kings
• George Maloof, Sr. owned the NBA’s Houston Rockets
• Hicham El Guerrouj, Moroccan former middle distance runner, holder of multiple world records, and a double Olympic gold medalist.
• Jeff George, quarterback for several NFL teams
• Jim Harrick, UCLA’s coach
• Joe Robbie, former owner and founder of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
• John Jaha, sports athlete, of the MLB Milwaukee Brewers.
• Justin Abdelkader, American ice hockey forward playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
• Khalid Khannouchi, (Moroccan) marathon world record holder.
• Omar Sheika, (Palestinian) professional boxer, four-time world title challenger.
• Rich Kotite, NFL coach
• Rocco Baldelli, (Syrian) professional baseball Red Sox.
• Rony Seikaly,(Lebanese) Former NBA Player, now DJ
• Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatari) 2012 Olympic skeet bronze medallist, and racing driver.

See also

• Arabic language
• Arab people
• List of Arab scientists and scholars
• List of Jews from the Arab World
• List of Lebanese people
• List of Muslim scientists