Tarek Ben Halim

Tarek Ben Halim (4 December 1955 – 11 December 2009) was a Libyan investment banker and social investor who founded the Arab venture philanthropy organization Alfanar. He left the banking sector in 2000.^[1] In 2004, Ben Halim founded Alfanar, which describes itself as the first Arab venture philanthropy organization, aimed to promote a more effective and sustainable approach to development in the Arab region.^[2]

Tarek Ben Halim
Born	4 December 1955 Tripoli, Libya
Died	11 December 2009 (2009-12-12) (aged 54) London, England
Occupation	Investment banker
Known for	Founder of Alfanar
Spouse	Cynthia Oakes
Children	3
Father	Mustafa Ben Halim
Relatives	John Bertram Oakes (father-in-law)

Early life

Ben Halim was born in Tripoli, Libya, on 4 December 1955. His mother, Yusra Kanaan, was of Palestinian descent, and his father, Mustafa Ahmed Ben Halim, was a Libyan of Egyptian descent. Mustafa Ben Halim served as the Prime Minister of Libya from 1954 to 1957 and as the Libyan Ambassador to France from 1958 to 1960.

Following the 1969 coup that brought Muammar Gaddafi to power, Ben Halim and his family were exiled from Libya. They initially moved to Beirut before eventually settling in London. He was educated at Atlantic College in Wales before studying finance at the University of Warwick. Ben Halim later received an MBA from Harvard Business School.^[3]

Career

Ben Halim worked in investment banking, holding positions at JP Morgan, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Goldman Sachs, where he became a managing director. In 2000, he oversaw the $2 billion flotation of Turkcell, which at the time was the largest emerging-market IPO .^[4]

Ben Halim’s personal and family experiences of displacement reportedly shaped his interest in political reform and civil society development in the Arab region.^[5] In a February 2003 commentary for The Los Angeles Times, he criticized “self‑serving, unrepresentative governments that have, with few exceptions, ruled the Arab world since the 19th century.” He expressed hope that removing Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq would usher in broader leadership changes across the region, and he volunteered to work with British forces.

Appointed Deputy Director of Private Sector Development within the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Halim became frustrated by what he perceived as the CPA’s emphasis on short‑term gains rather than establishing a sustainable framework to endure beyond its departure. Consequently, he resigned after only a few months.^[6]

Alfanar and investment banking

Tarek Ben Halim founded Alfanar in 2004 (meaning "lighthouse" in Arabic). The organization supports the development of civil society in the Arab world by promoting organizations that address long-term community needs in disadvantaged areas.^[7]

Death

Tarek Ben Halim died on 11 December 2009, at the age of 54, after being diagnosed with brain cancer 14 months earlier. He was married to Cynthia Oakes, a Princeton graduate and the daughter of U.S. journalist John Bertram Oakes.^[8] In his obituary, The Guardian described him as "a man of high principle and humour".^[9]