Salim Wardeh  Salim Wardeh (Arabic: سليم وردة) (born October 1, 1968, in Zahle, Lebanon) was the Minister of Culture in Lebanon until June 2011, when he was replaced by Gaby Layoun. Wardeh is a Catholic Christian and is a member of the Lebanese Forces which in turn is a member of the March 14 Alliance. Wardeh is a member of the board of directors of Tell Shiha Hospital. He also holds Australian citizenship. He is the General Manager of Solifed, a family business specializing in making wine that was founded in 1971 but dates back to 1893. He is married to Nidal Hakim and has two children Macy(1996) and Aziz(1998)  He underwent a failed kidnapping attempt in 1977. The kidnappers wanted to ask for ransom from Wardeh's wealthy business family. Alternative transliterations used in the media: Warde, Wardy.