São Paulo – On Thursday (20) evening, the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce held a dinner in honor of business owner Ueze Elias Zahran at the Syrian Sports Club in the city of Sâo Paulo. The son of Lebanese parents, Zahran is the CEO of gas company Copagaz Distribuidora de Gás and of Rede Matogrossense de Televisão, which owns television stations TV Morena and TV Centro América, affiliates of Rede Globo in Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, respectively.
It was the first in a series of events within the Life Journeys project, set to tell the stories of the prominent people in the Arab community in Brazil. “The project Life Journeys, conceived by our dear friend Mário Rizkallah (Arab Chamber director), aims to promote the history the Arab immigration and its huge contribution for the economic, social and cultural development of Brazil”, said the Arab Chamber’s president, Marcelo Sallum.
A book portraying the life story of Zahran, written based on an interview with him, was published especially for the event, and it includes pictures of him, his family and his businesses, plus a list of all the awards and tributes he ever received.
“Through the compelling testimonies told from the point of view of these extraordinaire men and their women, who lived through the history [of immigration], we intend to show that the struggle for survival, the persistence in chasing their dreams and the gratitude for the new country that welcomed them were the elements needed for building a legacy full of entrepreneurial and social achievements”, said Sallum.
According to him, just as the vast majority of the Arab immigrants and their descendants, Zahran started to work very early in life. “He faced many challenges throughout his life, but what impressed us the most was his capacity to overcome obstacles and turn difficulties into opportunities”, he emphasized.
Sallum added that in life and in business, the business owner and his wife, Lucila, sought to pass on their values and care with people’s well-being to their children, managers and collaborators. “For this he received several awards and tributes, in addition to the respect from his community”, he said.
The title of the book is Ueze Elias Zahran: the son of Lebanese parents that brought gas and TV to Brazil inland. “And it’s with great pride that we started this series with the life journey of the businessman Ueze Elias Zahran”, highlighted the president of the Arab Chamber.
The chairman of the Arab Chamber’s Board of Directors, Walid Yazigi, handed an engraved silver plate to Zahran, while Sallum’s wife, Juliana, gave a flower bouquet to the businessman’s wife.
Memories
“I want to thank with all my heart the work you have done”, said Zahran. “It made me relive all my life’s work”, he added after the screening of a video about his journey.
The businessman recalled the origins of his family. “When my Lebanese parents were alive, the Arab life was ongoing and easy at home, because their presence made it seem like it”, he told.
The tribute paid by the Arab Chamber brought this memory back. “I am very happy for the presence of all of you, especially the friends I had not seen for 20 or 25 years and who are here today, reminding me of the time that our home and our family was an Arab family, with the presence of my parents”, he said.
Moved, Zahran concluded: “Today you made me recollect what I’ve seen and lived in my childhood and youth. Thank you for existing!”
Ueze’s parents, Elias and Laila, arrived in Brazil in the 1920s and settled in what is now the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. As Sallum said, Zahran started to work very early on in life and was able to turn the needs of his relatives and fellow citizens into opportunities. He started out by distributing gas cylinders and then established the TV channel in the state. His company, Copagaz, is currently one of the country’s largest, and the signal of his channels reach near 200 counties.
The tribute was attended by dozens of relatives, diplomats, business owners and representatives of associations from Arab communities.
From the Arab Chamber, besides Sallum, Rizkallah and Yazigi, also attending the dinner were former presidents Antonio Sarkis Júnior and Salim Schahin, CEO Michel Alaby, vice presidents Rubens Hannun (Foreign Affairs), Riad Younes (Marketing) and Osmar Chohfi (Foreign Affairs), and directors Nahid Chicani, Mohamed Abdouni, Mustafa Abdouni, Sami Roumieh and William Atui.
Also present at the tribute were the dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil and Palestine’s ambassador in Brasília, Ibrahim Alzeben, Lebanon’s ambassador Joseph Saya, Lebanon’s consul general in São Paulo, Kabalan Frangie, Syria’s consul general in São Paulo, Sami Salameh, the head of Egypt’s trade office in São Paulo, consul Mohamed Elkhatib, and Syrian Sports Club president Fabio Kadi.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani