Dr. Mufeed Al-Hasayneh

Al-Hasayneh was born in Gaza City on 18 April 1964. He studied in the Gaza Strip, then continued his education in the United States, where he earned a doctorate in project-management engineering from New Jersey City University. During his years of study he was involved in Palestinian student organizing, and he chaired the student union at the university from 1984 to 1987.

In the genocidal war after 7 October, Israel bombed the home of Minister Mufeed Al-Hasayneh and the surrounding homes of his cousins. The strike killed more than 130 people, among them his sisters, their husbands, his daughters' husbands, and their children. The Abu Sharia and Al-Hasayneh families in Gaza buried 130 of their members, whose remains were pulled from the rubble of a residential block in the Sabra neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

Professional career

Al-Hasayneh worked in the private sector and founded the Al-Hasayneh commercial group before moving into government and taking the portfolio of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

In 2014 he became Minister of Public Works and Housing in the Palestinian national consensus government led by Rami Hamdallah, and he remained in office until 2019. During his tenure his work was tied in particular to reconstruction, housing, and construction projects in the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza reconstruction file

The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip was one of the most prominent files associated with Al-Hasayneh's name while he headed the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

In government he followed reconstruction projects, damage assessments, housing, and infrastructure. On several occasions he spoke about the difficulties of financing reconstruction and of donor funds actually arriving. In 2015 he stated that what reached the Palestinian side from the pledges of the Gaza reconstruction conference was only a limited share of the total pledges.

During his ministerial term he also took part in launching and following development projects in the Gaza Strip, including laying the foundation stone for a medical complex in Khan Younis in 2016.

National and political presence

Alongside his government work, Al-Hasayneh took part in a number of political and national activities.

He joined the delegation of independent figures to the Palestinian reconciliation talks in Cairo in 2012, and his name was linked to the Gathering of Independent Figures and to efforts to end the Palestinian division.

In the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections he ran as an independent from Gaza City, but he did not win a seat. In 2021 he headed the Palestine for All list, which prepared to contest the legislative elections that were scheduled at the time.

Community and sports work

Al-Hasayneh's activity extended to community and sports life in the Gaza Strip. He previously chaired Al-Mashtal Sports Club, and he took part in events and institutions tied to civil society and the private sector.

After his ministerial work ended he continued to appear at public and community events, including a visit in 2021 to the Palestinian Press House to learn about its programs for journalists and media students.

A figure who combines engineering and public service

Mufeed Al-Hasayneh's experience cuts across several fields. He is an engineer specialized in project management, a businessman, and a former Palestinian minister, and he has worked on files linked to reconstruction, development, national dialogue, and community activity.

That background places him among the Palestinian figures associated with government, economic, and community work, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Key facts

Name: Dr. Mufeed Muhammad Mousa Al-Hasayneh

Date of birth: 18 April 1964

Place of birth: Gaza

Specialization: engineering and project management

Most prominent government post: Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing

Term in office: 2014–2019

Areas of activity: engineering, project management, the private sector, government, reconciliation and national work, community life, and sports.