Solidarity and Support Dinner – London Chapter of the LAU Alumni Association

November 26, 2024 6:30 PM–9:30 PM

One Great George Street, SW1P 3AA, London, UK

Join us for an evening dedicated to uniting alumni and friends in a spirit of solidarity, as we come together to raise critical funds for those in need back home in the presence of:

Mr. Philip Stoltzfus
Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Dr. Chaouki Abdallah
President of the Lebanese American University

The event will honor distinguished alumni Mr. Basim Ziadeh and Mrs. Karen Ziadeh (BA ’72), and Ms. Rima Maktabi (BA ’00; MA ’03).

The proceeds will directly support vital initiatives, including:

Urgent medical care for vulnerable patients at LAU’s Medical Centers
LAU Mobile Clinic for displaced communities, ensuring free basic care for those unable to access medical centers
Tuition assistance for LAU students facing severe hardship and displacement due to the ongoing situation in Lebanon

Purchase your tickets:

By email: londonalumni@lau.edu.lb
By phone: +447340710339

We look forward to sharing this evening with you in support of our community.

Program

Addresses

Dr. Shereen Nabhani and Mr. Karim Boulos
Co-Presidents of the London Alumni Chapter

H.E. Rami Mortada
Ambassador of Lebanon to the UK

Mr. Philip Stoltzfus
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lebanese American University

Dr. Chaouki Abdallah
President of the Lebanese American University

Honoring Distinguished Alumni

Mr. Basim Ziadeh and Mrs. Karen Ziadeh (BA ’72)
Pioneering entrepreneurs and founders

Ms. Rima Maktabi (BA ’00; MA ’03)
Award-winning journalist

Musical performance led by alumna and class valedictorian Dona Atallah (BA ’22), accompanied by a string quartet, supported by the Peace and Prosperity Trust

About the Honorees

Mr. Basim Ziadeh and Mrs. Karen Ziadeh

Raised in Beirut, where he attended International College, Mr. Basim Ziadeh went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the American University of Beirut, and later a master’s of science in architecture from the University of Bristol.

He partnered with Mr. Mutaz Sawwaf and Mr. Omar Salhab to establish Areen Architects and Engineers in 1978, and moved the operation to London in 1983.

In 1982, he helped establish Roots Group, which has since grown to become a major player in the sale and distribution of building materials in the MENA region.

Roots relocated to the UK in 2018 under the name of Roots Group UK ltd, with Ziadeh at its helm as director of the UK company. The group has a design branch under the Areen Design Ltd banner, a manufacturing base in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and a building materials and heavy equipment distribution arm.

Ziadeh is also a visionary who has contributed to founding wholesale food and textile retail businesses in the Middle East, such as Kazareen Textile Group.

Having graduated in 1972 from the Beirut College for Women (BCW) — as LAU was known back then — Mrs. Karen Ziadeh is among the last generation of alumnae who had walked the LAU hallways before the institution became co-ed in 1973. She is an artist and a co-founder of Roots Group UK, and a managing partner of Societé Civil Immobilière de la Tour Gandolphe, a real estate company.

Together, Mr. and Mrs. Ziadeh have contributed to supporting education in Lebanon and beyond through numerous philanthropic projects and commitments.

Ms. Rima Maktabi

Ms. Rima Maktabi is the United Kingdom bureau chief for Al Arabiya news network. She has over 25 years of experience in broadcast journalism and was nominated by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Between 2012 and 2015, Maktabi did extensive war zone TV coverage from Syria on political, military and humanitarian stories; she also reported on the emergence of ISIS in Mosul, Iraq. In 2010, she was an anchor at CNN focusing on news from the Middle East including the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, and Bahrain. She also hosted CNN’s show Inside the Middle East.

Maktabi is an award-winning journalist. She received the “Outstanding Media Performance” award from the May Chidiac Foundation and the Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum award for her work covering the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.

Throughout her career she interviewed world leaders, hosted various news shows and covered major events. Maktabi started her career in her home country, Lebanon, at Future TV where she worked for 10 years. She has an MA in International Affairs and a BA in Communication Arts from LAU.

About the Emergency Relief for Lebanon Initiative