The world recently bid farewell to Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, a prominent Libyan politician and diplomat whose career spanned several decades. Al-Obeidi, born on October 10, 1939, played significant roles in Libya’s political landscape, and his net worth at the time of his passing is of interest to many.
Throughout his career, Abdul Ati al-Obeidi held various high-ranking positions in Libya under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi. Notably, he served as Prime Minister from 1977 to 1979 and later as the General Secretary of the General People’s Congress from 1979 to 1981. However, one of his most notable achievements was his involvement as one of the three main negotiators in Libya’s historic decision to denounce and abandon its nuclear weapons program.
The year 2011 marked a significant turning point in Abdul Ati al-Obeidi’s life and career. Amidst the First Libyan Civil War, which pitted Gaddafi loyalists against Anti-Gaddafi rebels, he assumed the role of Foreign Minister following the defection of Moussa Koussa, a key figure in Gaddafi’s government. Al-Obeidi had accompanied Koussa to Djerba, Tunisia, but he returned to Libya while Koussa defected to London. On April 3, 2011, just a week after Koussa’s defection, al-Obeidi flew to Greece, where he presented a peace proposal to his Greek counterpart, Dimitrios Droutsas, in an effort to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict.
However, his life took a dramatic turn later that year. On August 31, 2011, Abdul Ati al-Obeidi was detained by rebel forces west of Tripoli, marking a significant shift in the Libyan political landscape. Despite these challenges, he faced legal proceedings in June 2013 and was ultimately found not guilty of a charge of mismanagement.
Sadly, Abdul Ati al-Obeidi’s remarkable journey came to an end on September 16, 2023, when he passed away from a heart attack at the age of 83. His contributions to Libyan politics and diplomacy will be remembered, and his passing leaves behind a legacy of both triumphs and challenges.