Since its inception as a city in the late 1800s, Aley has been the birthplace and home of many of Lebanon’s noteworthy scholars, artists, actors, scientists, doctors, writers, lawyers, politicians, activists …
• Jamil Talhouk (1884 – 1957): administrator and politician, mayor of Aley, member of the Representative Council, deputy 1927 and 1943, Minister in 3 governments 1945-1946.
• Melhem Ibrahim Talhouk (1908 – 1998): lawyer and diplomat, Secretary-General of the Shura Council, Consul and Ambassador, Director of Cultural Affairs, bears several honors.
• Afif Jamil Talhouk: writer and translator, born 1945, author of books and translations.
• Asaad Talhouk: a former minister in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Fadlallah Mahmoud Talhouk (1915 – 1998): judge and politician, deputy 1960, 1964, and 1968.
• Mounir Talhouk: ambassador.
• Dr. Abdul Munim Salim Talhouk: scientist, researcher and university professor, born 1924, postgraduate degrees in biology, chemistry and zoology, Ph.D. in entomology, author of many international scientific papers and books.
• Anis Jaber: Aley’s first lawyer, also a journalist, writer and poet. He created the magazine “Sada Al-Alam”. Author of books.
• Shakib Jaber (d. 1965): lawyer and political activist, member of the Progressive Socialist Party’s board of directors and local, Arab and international committees, fronts, and bodies, author of books.
• Dr. Afif Naif Hatoum: University professor, born 1933, PhD in Arabic literature, author of books.
• Adeeb Al-Haddad (1912 – 1986): Poet, author, TV and theater actor known as “Abu Melhem”, captain of the Lebanese Artists Syndicate, won many awards and honors.
• Anis Khalaf: poet, born 1908.
• Dr. Aref Masoud al-Rayess (1910 – 1965): physician, director of quarantine, physician of the judiciary.
• Dr. Shafik Salim al-Rayess (1927 – 1975): dentist and thinker, author of the book “The Lebanese Challenge”.
• Aref El Rayess: plastic artist, born 1928, president of the Association of Lebanese Artists for Painting and Sculpture, then vice president 1998, winner of Lebanese, Arab and foreign prizes.
• Fouad Al Rayess: writer, poet, journalist, industrialist, union and social activist, born in 1937, General Coordinator of the Permanent Office of Druze Institutions in Beirut, author of books.
• Riad Najeeb Al Rayess: a contemporary journalist and writer, he founded a publishing house, author of books.
• Sania Zaitoun: the first Lebanese female engineer who joined the Engineers Syndicate in 1942.
• Sleiman Dleikan: Aley’s foremost realist painter, commissioned by the government of Kuwait to design many collections of commemorative postage stamps, coins, etc.
• Waheeda al-Faqih Sharaf al-Din: Founder of the “Social Message Association”, recipient of the Lebanese Order of Merit.
• Youssef Fares Shmait: military officer and politician, born in 1910, chief of staff and head of the third office in the Lebanese army, inspector general, colonel and chief of staff, under-secretary of the Ministry of Interior for coordinating internal security affairs in the government of President Ahmed Daouk in 1960, holds several decorations.
• Naim Suleiman Shehayeb: An engineer and writer, born in 1927. He established the literary Forum of Faith.
• Akram Chehayeb: born 1947, member of the leadership council of the Progressive Socialist Party, appointed deputy 1991, elected 1992, 1996 and 2000, Minister of the Environment 1996, head of the Aley Festivals Committee.
• Sheikh Kamel Assaf: a sculptor, a student of his father and of the artist Aref Al Rayess at the American University, has distinguished works, won several awards.
• Emile Ayache: one of Lebanon’s foremost sculptors, his works have been commissioned internationally.
• Monsignor Youssef Chalhoub El-Fegali: clergyman, educator and social activist, Ohio parish priest in 1951, established a national cultural movement in Ohio, where he founded an exemplary Arabic language school, President Camille Chamoun awarded him the Order of the Cedars 1954. Pope Pius XII promoted him to the rank of Monsignor. The American government honored him with a celebration in his honor.
• Dr. Joseph Feghali: Doctor, founder of maternity hospital in Aley and another in Beirut, member of international obstetric associations, author of medical lectures and publications, holder of the Lebanese Gold Medal of Merit.
• Fayez Ali Al-Faqih (1940 – 1987): writer, a member of the Lebanese Writers Union, author of several books.
• Shafik Ali al-Faqih: a writer, teacher and painter, born in 1928. He held exhibitions and worked as a teacher; author of books.
• Jamila Al-Faqih: lawyer and fiction writer, author of books.
• Henry El Kek: journalist
• Dr. Salim Yusef Murad: scientist, born in 1933, Ph.D. in neutron radiation from Einstein University in Germany, responsible for oil pumps in Kuwait in 1953, technological officer at the Center for Space and Satellite Research in Oberfaffen, where he designed a pioneering rocket to study atmospheric layers and transmit them to Earth; many registered patents.
• Monier Abou Fadel (1912-1987) – Born in the nearby village of Ain Anoub, he was a member of the Lebanese Parliament for thirty consecutive years (1957-1987) representing the district of Aley. He was a resident in Aley for much of his life.