Background
Ziad Takieddine was born on 14 June 1950 in Baakline, Lebanon into a Druze family. His uncle Saiid Takieddine was Lebanese Ambassador in London, and his father was Ambassador in various countries.
Ziad Takieddine was born on 14 June 1950 in Baakline, Lebanon into a Druze family. His uncle Saiid Takieddine was Lebanese Ambassador in London, and his father was Ambassador in various countries.
He was educated at the American University in Beirut and the University of Reading in England.
In the 1990s, he was the manager of the Isola 2000 ski resort in Isola, Alpes-Maritimes, France. He later facilitated arms dealing between France and Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and Libya. He is under investigation for allegedly using some of those funds to finance the unsuccessful presidential campaign of former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur.
This has led to the Karachi affair.
He facilitated the release of Bulgarian nurses from Libya and organized Libya President Muammar Gaddafi"s 2007 visit to France.