Hassan Diab

Lebanon's new government was formed on 21 January 2020 after Diab and Speaker Nabih Berri met with President Michel Aoun. Diab then announced the new twenty member cabinet made up of technocrats saying they would work on new election law, seeking an independent judiciary and the return of looted public funds. During the first session of the new cabinet, Diab announced that his first official visits would be to countries "in the Arab region, especially the Gulf". He said nothing about abiding by the reforms promised by Hariri and chose to maintain the Ministry of Information, which Hariri had promised to abolish. On 3 February, Diab signed the 2020 state budget, reducing spending by $700 million and on 6 February the cabinet approved a "financial rescue plan" to present to the parliament.

On 7 March 2020, Diab announced Lebanon would default on a sovereign debt for the first time in its history.

Diab was designated as the next Prime Minister of Lebanon succeeding Saad Hariri on 19 December 2019, amidst the 2019–20 Lebanese protests that had caused Hariri's resignation. Diab's candidacy won the support of 69 members out of 128 of the Lebanese parliament; his support came from parties that co-form the March 8 Alliance, namely the Hezbollah-allied parliamentary blocs, but did not receive the backing of parties from his own Sunni community.

On 13 June 2011, Diab was appointed minister of education and higher education as part of Najib Mikati's cabinet, replacing Hasan Mneimneh. He was succeeded by Elias Abu Saab as education minister. Diab's term ended on 15 February 2014.

Diab was a career academic, joining the American University of Beirut as an electrical engineering professor in 1985. He has published over 150 articles and papers in scientific journals and conferences. He called himself an advocate for educational reform in Lebanon and authored books on the topic. He also served as vice president for regional external programs at the AUB from October 2006 to June 2011.

Hassan Diab (Arabic: حسان دياب ‎; born 6 January 1959) is a Lebanese politician, engineer, and academic who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Lebanon since 21 January 2020 after the formation of a cabinet, having been appointed to the position by President Michel Aoun. Prior to his prime ministership, Diab served as the Lebanese Minister of Education from 2011 to 2014, under President Michel Suleiman.

Diab was born in Beirut on 6 January 1959. He has a bachelor of science degree in communications engineering, which he received from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1981. Then he obtained a master's degree in systems engineering from the University of Surrey in 1982, and a PhD in computer engineering from the University of Bath in 1985.