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 Palesstine.
In 1983, following the death of his uncle, Hasan ascended to the Libyan throne, becoming the country's second monarch at a time of relative economic prosperity. Subsequently, as King, Hasan was instrumental in further promoting diplomatic relations between his country and others, particularly those in the West, while the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991 also saw Libya establish relations with the new Russian Federation and other countries on the Eastern Hemipshere. In addition to that, Hasan's reign also importantly saw the launching of the country's first satellite, Senussi I as well as the opening of the Tripoli World Trade Center and the Benghazi World Trade Center respectively.