Mustafa Ahmed Ben Halim (Arabic: مصطفى احمد بن حليم; 29 January 1921 – 7 December 2021) was a Libyan politician and businessman who served in a number of leadership positions in the Kingdom of Libya from 1953 to 1960.

[1] Ben Halim was born in exile in Alexandria, Egypt on 29 January 1921,[2][3] where his Cyrenaican father sought refuge from the Italian occupation of Libya.

As prime minister, Ben Halim prioritized building relationships and alliances with the West, notably Great Britain, the United States, and France.

Due to these relationships, Ben Halim was able to secure aid for Libya from Great Britain and the United States at a time of heightened Cold War tensions.

[4] During his time as prime minister, Ben Halim established a positive diplomatic relationship with the Soviet Union which ultimately led to Libya's recognition at the United Nations which had been previously blocked by the USSR.

In addition, Ben Halim collaborated closely with other Arab nations and neighboring countries, strengthening Libya's geopolitical position.

In 1957, Ben Halim resigned as prime minister due to a lack of commitment from King Idris to move Libya towards a more open democracy.

Between 1964 and 1968, Ben Halim served as an informal advisor to King Idris on institutional reforms which were proposed during his term as prime minister.

He then moved to Beirut, Lebanon in 1970 to pursue new business ventures, including helping Consolidated Contractors Company negotiate sub-contracting agreements with the Bechtel Corporation, one of the largest civil engineering firms in the world.