Marking the university’s centennial year, LAU President Michel E. Mawad paid a three-day visit earlier this month to alumni and friends in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the first of a series of planned visits across the MENA region, to engage with friends and supporters of the university and reconnect with alumni.

“LAU belongs not only to Lebanon and the entire region, but it is also a beacon of knowledge and a hub for renewal and innovation,” said Dr. Mawad.

That the meetings were being held in Riyadh, he added, was particularly significant, as the city was exceptional “in its importance as the capital of the Kingdom of Benevolence, and the heart of the Arab world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made remarkable strides toward achieving Saudi Vision 2030, thanks to its leadership and the efforts of its people.”

Accompanied by an LAU delegation that included VP for Institutional Advancement Gabriel Abiad, AVP for Alumni Relations Abdallah Al Khal, and Senior Director of Annual Giving Ghandi Fala, Dr. Mawad held several meetings around potential educational collaborations that would help fulfill the aspirations of a flourishing market.

During a lunch hosted by Lebanese Ambassador Fawzi Kabbara, and attended by MPs Elie Khoury, Fouad Makhzoumi, former minister Manal Abdel Samad, university trustee May Makhzoumi, and Saudi and Lebanese academic and cultural figures, Dr. Mawad expressed his gratitude to the ambassador for his hospitality and his appreciation to the kingdom for welcoming Lebanese expatriates and ensuring that they receive respect and recognition in their second home country. 

The Alumni Relations Office organized a reception the following evening to rally the alumni community around the centennial year tribute. The event attracted over 120 alumni who networked, reminisced and reconnected with their alma mater.  The visit and the reception were also an opportunity for the chapter to announce their call for new memberships.

Rabih El-Amine, chairman of the Lebanese Executive Council, along with his wife, Jihan Baqader, warmly embraced the outreach initiative by hosting a “Friendship for Education” dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Riyadh.  Approximately 150 attendees, including Lebanese Consul Salam Al-Ashqar, the former Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Al-Asiri, and several members of the Lebanese Parliament, including Fouad Makhzoumi, graced the event.

Dr. Mawad touched on LAU’s anniversary, which marks a century of quality higher education and community service and stressed that the university aspires to another hundred years of academic, medical, and service excellence.

In the coming months, the alumni chapters across the world are expected to join LAU’s deep commitment to the community and its pursuit of excellence, with similar visits to be conducted by the president and his team.

Find out more about the “Friendship for Education” campaign and how to support it by following this link.