Hasan, King of Libya
| Hasan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Libya | |
| Reign | 25 May 1983 - 28 April 1992 |
| Predecessor | Idris |
| Successor | Mohammed |
| Born | Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Senussi 31 August 1928 Benghazi, Italian Cyrenaica |
| Died | 28 April 1992 (aged 63) Tripoli, Libya |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Sheikha Fawzia bint Tahir |
| Issue | Mohammed |
| House | Senussi |
| Father | Prince Muhammad al-Rida |
| Mother | Imbaraika al-Fallatiyya |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Senussi, or Hasan (31 August 1928 – 28 April 1992) was King of Libya from 25 May 1983 to 28 April 1992. The second monarch of Libya, Hasan succeeded to the throne during a period of relative prosperity and progress, which had come about from the previous reign of his uncle, Idris. With a reign of only nine years long, Hasan's reign is the shortest in Libyan history, with the King himself, in contrast to his predecessor, being much less involved in national politics by comparison.
Born in August 1928, Hasan was the nephew of the future King Idris. In 1951, after a brief period of Italian colonial rule, Libya gained independence, with Hasan's uncle, Idris as its first monarch. Then, on 26 October 1956, following the death of his father, Prince Muhammad al-Rida, Hasan, as the closest living relative of the childless King Idris, was proclaimed crown prince of the kingdom, in which capacity he worked to extensively modernise the Libyan military while also assisting his uncle in promoting relations between Libya and the international community. A noted diplomat, Hasan was an active mediator in conflicts such as the South African Border War, helping to secure Namibia's independence, as well as in the Arab-Israeli wars, with Hasan being an active proponent for a two-state solution and the normalisation of relations between Israel and Palestine.
Domestically, Hasan's reign was marked by several major milestones, including the opening of the Tripoli World Trade Centre and the Benghazi World Trade Centre, the launching of the country's first satellite, Senussi I, as well as the commencement of the Great Man-Made River, a network of pipes stretching across Libya providing fresh water to cities across the country. In addition, among sports enthusiasts, Hasan is widely considered to be the "Father of Libyan Football" for his role in spearheading the LF 2000 program to drastically change Libyan football, beginning with the establishment of the Libyan National League in 1970, followed by the country's hosting of the 1978 FIFA World Cup and the ratification of the Rome Momerendum in 1990 whereby Libya, after a ten-year trial period, was eventually admitted into UEFA following a concurrent switch from CAF. In 2000, the Super Cup of Friendship, an annual super cup competition between select Libyan and Italian football clubs, was first held posthumously in his honour, with Libyans popularly referring to it as the "King Hasan Cup".
In April 1992, after a roughly decade-long reign, Hasan passed away and was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed, whom is the third and currently reigning King of Libya.