| Office: | Minister of Agriculture |
| Primeminister: | Sami Solh |
| Term Start: | 16 September 1953 |
| Term End: | 17 September 1955 |
| Office1: | Minister of Telegraph and Telephone |
| Primeminister1: | Sami Solh |
| Term Start1: | 16 September 1953 |
| Term End1: | 17 September 1955 |
| Office2: | Minister of Defense |
| Primeminister2: | Khaled Chehab |
| Term Start2: | 30 September 1952 |
| Term End2: | 6 February 1953 |
| Birth Date: | May 1911 |
| Birth Place: | Baalbek, Beqaa, Lebanon |
| Death Date: | 3 October |
| Alma Mater: | Sorbonne University |
| Spouse: | Samiha Suleiman Haidar |
| Nationality: | Lebanese |
| Children: | 3 |
Salim Haidar (1911–1980) was a Lebanese jurist and politician who held several cabinet posts during the 1950s, including minister of defense. He was also a member of the Lebanese Parliament.
Haidar hailed from a Shiite family based in Baalbek, Beqaa. His family was among the leading landlords of the region. He was born in Baalbek in May 1911.[1] His father was Najib Haidar.[2]
He was a graduate of Lycée Française and then obtained a PhD in law from Sorbonne University.[1] [2] [3]
Following his graduation Haidar returned to Lebanon and became a public prosecutor in 1938 and an investigative judge in 1943.[2] He began to serve as an advisor at the Court of Appeal from 1945.[2] He was named as the ambassador of Lebanon to Iran in 1946.[2]
Haidar was appointed minister of defense to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Khaled Chehab on 30 September 1952.[4] [5] Haidar's term lasted until 6 February 1953 when he resigned from the post.[6] He was first elected to the Parliament from his hometown in the 1953 elections ousting his cousin Ibrahim Haidar who had been serving at the Parliament for thirty years.[7] Following his election as a deputy Salim Haidar involved in drafting the Lebanon's first anti-corruption law in 1953. On 16 September 1953 he was appointed minister of agriculture and minister of telegraph and telephone to the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sami Solh.[2] Haidar's term lasted until 17 September 1955.[2]
During the turmoil in Lebanon in 1958 Haidar was part of the anti-government coalition.[8] He was appointed ambassador of Lebanon to Morocco in 1958 and to the Soviet Union in 1963.[2] In 1968 he was again elected as a deputy.[2]
In addition to his political activities Haidar also published books on Arabic literature and poetry.[1] He was married to Samiha Suleiman Haidar with whom he had three children: Hayyan Haidar, a civil engineer,[3] Hassan and Hammad.[2] Salim Haidar died on 3 October 1980.[2] [3]