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The doyen of Arab ambassadors bids farewell to Berlin with the planting of a Lebanese cedar tree: after twelve years, Mustafa Adib is returning to his home country, where he almost became prime minister.

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For almost twelve years to the day, Mustafa Adib represented Lebanon as ambassador to Germany. Enough time to become the longest-serving ambassador among Arab colleagues and thus their doyen.

The adventure as head of government

His time was only interrupted by an adventurous phase of just under four weeks. From August 31 to September 26, 2020, Adib was the designated Prime Minister of Lebanon. He had been elected head of government, but the irreconcilable party dispute over who should become finance minister prompted him to resign after barely a month.

Prior to that, in his career, he was head of cabinet of Prime Minister Najib Miqati, whose close confidante he was considered. He had already worked as a consultant for Miqati when he was still Minister of Public Works and Transport.

On his departure from Germany, Adib planted a cedar in the garden of the Divan, the Arab House of Culture in Berlin-Zehlendorf. The ambassador from Qatar, Abdalla Al-Hamar, had invited his Lebanese colleague and many other Arab ambassadors to a farewell dinner in the Divan. Al-Hamar actively helped plant the cedar in the Divan's garden.

The succession is female

Adib's successor in Berlin is likely to be a woman. According to reports, Abir Al-Ali will become the next Lebanese ambassador to Germany.

The position of doyen among the Arab heads of mission will also go to a woman: Moroccan ambassador Zohour Alaoui will now succeed her as doyenne. She has been in her post in Germany for six years.

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