Rafik Hariri was the most important political figure in Lebanon since the end of the 15-year civil war that tore the country apart.

Born into a modest peasant family in the southern port city of Sidon in 1945, he became one of the region's wealthiest and most influential men.

Starting out as an accountant, Hariri studied commerce, before moving to Saudi Arabia and making his fortune in construction. He built crucial ties with the Saudi monarchy along the way and received Saudi citizenship in 1987.

He ran a commercial empire that spanned computers, banking, insurance, real estate and television and was the majority owner of Lebanon's Future Television. His close relations with Saudi Arabia's oil-rich leaders helped him in his efforts to rebuild Lebanon after the civil war.

Hariri, a Sunni Arab, was a central figure in securing the Al-Taif peace agreement that ended the conflict, which pitted the country's religious parties against one another. Israel backed the Christians while Syria supported both Sunnis and Shias.

He first became prime minister in October 1992, and set about restoring national confidence in the Lebanese economy and bolstering the country's burgeoning business community. In 1998, he lost his post after a squabble with the then Lebanese President, Elias Hrawi, over how to resolve the country's ailing economy.

Hariri was asked to form a new government in October 2000 after he won landslide majority in the general elections. After four years in power he resigned last October, in a row over the extent of Syria's involvement in Lebanon's internal politics.

He quit after the presidency of Emile Lahoud was artificially extended by three years, thanks to a Syrian-backed constitutional amendment that Hariri had opposed.

The extension was in defiance of UN Security Council resolution 1559 adopted on September 2, 2004, calling for a withdrawal of Syrian troops and for Lebanese presidential elections to be held. Although Hariri had publicly tried to avoid offending Damascus, his pro-Syrian opponents accused him of being the driving force behind the resolution.

Syria has some 15,000 troops in Lebanon and influences virtually all key political decisions. It was invited into the country to provide security during the war and has never released its grip.

After stepping down as Prime Minister last year, Hariri had kept himself largely on the sidelines. But in the eyes of many he remained the "silent opponent" to Lebanon’s current pro-Syrian government.

His vast fortune, estimated at US$4 billion (£2.1billion), allowed him to maintain an independent political posture without defying Syria.

Members of Hariri’s parliamentary bloc had also been taking part in opposition meetings, calling on Syria to extract its soldiers from Lebanon.

The politician is survived by his wife, Nazik Hariri, and six children.

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