Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi


Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi is an Iranian politician and academic and former Minister of Roads and Urban Development, from 2013 to 2018. In 1993, Akhoundi became the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, making him one of the youngest ministers in Iran's modern history until Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi's appointment in 2017.

Early life and education

The grandson of Grand Ayatollah Allameh Amini, Akhoundi was born in Najaf where his grandfather resided. Along with other Iranian families, he was deported from Iraq in the 1970s. He is also the brother-in-law of Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri. Akhoundi acquired his BEng and MSc from University of Tehran in Civil Engineering. He obtained a PhD in Political Economy from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2006. His thesis was titled Globalization, the nation-state and national economic policy making : the attitudes of Iran's elites.

Political career

Akhoundi is also widely accredited for drafting Iran's privatization bill known as Article 44 of the constitution. In 2011, he wrote a set of advised amendments to Article 44 published by Chamber of Commerce Industries and Mines, none of which have been implemented. During his time as the minister he founded the Construction Engineering Organization, the NGO responsible for the standardization of construction in Iran. Akhoundi served as Minister of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 to 1997 in the cabinet of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
He was chosen for the ministry of Roads and Urban Development by the newly elected President Hassan Rouhani, he needed to gain a vote of confidence from the Iranian Parliament before taking office. He was approved to take office on 15 August winning 159 from a possible 284 votes. He was also Head of the Iranian Housing Fund Charity for 8 years.

Views

Akhoundi maintains economically liberal views and is politically a reformer. He supported Mir-Hossein Mousavi for president in 2009 and was an important figure in his campaign.