Akef Al-Fayez

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix = His Excellency

| name = Akef Mithqal Sattam Al-Fayez

| image = Emperor Haile Selassie and Akef Mithqal Al-Fayez.png

| caption = Sheikh Akef with Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia 1966

| birth_date = 15 September 1922

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|04|08|1922|09|15}}

| resting_place = Umm Al Amad, Jordan

| occupation = Politician

| years_active = 1957–1998

| father = Mithqal Al Fayez

| children = Faisal Al-Fayez

| relatives = Sattam Al-Fayez (Grandfather)
Saeed Pasha Khair (Grandfather)
Talal Al-Fayez (Uncle)
Trad Al-Fayez (Brother)
Sami Al-Fayez (Brother)
Amer Al-Fayez (Nephew)

}}

Akef Mithqal Al-Fayez (Arabic: عاكف مثقال الفايز, Akif Al Fayiz; 15 September 1922 – 8 April 1998) was a Jordanian politician born in Amman, Jordan. He held several ministerial positions and became speaker of the Jordanian Parliament for several sessions and a member of the Jordanian Senate.

Family and early life

Akef was born and raised in Jordan to one of the most prominent political families the Al-Fayez, to the paramount leader of the Bani Sakher, Mithqal Al-fayez. He was the eldest son from his wife Adul Khair, daughter of Amman's 5th mayor Saeed Khair. He had 6 full brothers who also held various political seats in Jordan, from oldest to youngest are Zaid, Tayil, Talal, Trad, Mohammad, and Mansour Al-Fayez.{{Cite book|last=Alon|first=Yoav|title=Theshaykh of Shaykhs Mithqal al-Fayiz and Tribal Leader ship in Modern Jordan|publisher=Stanford University Press |year=2016|isbn=9780804799348|location=Stanford, California|page=91}} Akef's own son Faisal Al-Fayez would later succeed him both as the paramount Sheikh of the Beni Sakher and as a political figure in Jordan and the Arab world as the Prime Minister of Jordan.{{cite web |title=Jordanian King authorizes Faisal al-Fayez to form political development government |url=http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031023/2003102301.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225062510/http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031023/2003102301.html |archive-date=2012-02-25 |access-date=2010-03-16}}{{cite news |date=25 October 2003 |title=Jordan appoints new government |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3214705.stm |access-date=13 June 2018 |via=news.bbc.co.uk}}

Political career

Akef enjoyed one of the most highly decorated political careers in Jordan, ranging from a variety of Ministerial offices and other high ranking politically influential offices. He held ministerial positions ten times and 2 Parliamentary positions, which are:

In the government of Ibrahim Hashem, formed on April 24, 1957, as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Defense in an amendment to the government on October 22, 1957,{{Cite book|last=Yoav|first=Alon|title=Theshaykh of Shaykhs Mithqal al-Fayiz and Tribal Leadership in Modern Jordan|publisher=Stanford University Press |year=2016|isbn=9780804799348|location=Stanford, California|page=158}}
In the government of Samir Al-Rifai, formed on May 18, 1958, he held the position of Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Construction.
in the government of Hazza al-Majali, formed on May 6, 1959, he held the position of Minister of Agriculture and Social Affairs
in Bahjat Talhouni 's government, formed on August 29, 1960, he became Minister of Defense
In the government of Samir al-Rifai, formed on March 27, 1963. he held the positions of Minister of Public Works and Minister of Transportation
Then he held the same positions in the government of Sharif Hussein bin Nasser, formed on April 21, 1963.
Akef holds his first position as speaker of the Jordanian Parliament from 1963 till 1966.
In the government of Saad Jumah, formed on April 23, 1967, he held the positions of Minister of Transportation and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
In the government of Bahjat Talhouni, formed on October 7, 1967, he held the position of Minister of Communications and Minister of State for Prime Minister Affairs.
In the government of Abdelmunim Rifai, formed on March 24, 1969, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
He became Vice President and Minister for Prime Minister Affairs in an amendment made to the government on June 30, 1969,
in Abdelmunim's government formed on June 27, 1970, he held the position of Minister of State for Prime Minister Affairs
Akef later on served as speaker of the Jordanian Parliament for the second time in 1984{{Cite journal|last=Aruri|first=Nasser|date=1985|title=The PLO and the Jordan option|journal=Third World Quarterly|volume=7|issue=4 |page=884|doi=10.1080/01436598508419873 }}

Al-Watan Political Party

On July 14, 1993, the Al-Watan Political Party has been legalized in Jordan by King Hussein, and Akef Al-Fayez was its leader. The party's ideology is Right of Center, Tribalist.{{Cite book|last=Lucas |first=Russell |title=Institutions and the Politics of Survival in Jordan |publisher=State University of New York Press, Albany |year=2005|isbn=0-7914-6445-8|location=United States |pages=59}} The party was later combined with several other parties to form The National Constitutional Party.{{Cite web|title=Jordanian Political Parties|url=http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_list.html|website=King Hussein}}