São Paulo – The auditorium of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce is now named after the president of its Management Council, Walid Yazigi. The honoring took place on Tuesday (29) late afternoon at the organization’s headquarters in Avenida Paulista, São Paulo.
Yazigi, a collaborator in the Arab Chamber since 1966, was its president for three two-year terms, 1981/82, 1987/88 and 1989/90, and is president of the Council since 2009. Before, he had presided over the same council from 1987 to 2005, as reminded by Rubens Hannun, the Arab Chamber’s president, in his speech.
“This auditorium was built with the goal to promote reflections, different viewpoints to the facts, being a visionary and an inspiring figure. It makes all the sense, thus, to be given the name of Sir Walid Yazigi. That’s what he represents to the Arab Chamber and, especially, to me, personally: an inspiration,” said Hannun. “In addition to being a person that challenges us to reach higher levels”, he added.
The president of the Arab Chamber recalled visionary acts by Yazigi, such as the organization of the first mission of Brazilian entrepreneurs to the Arab countries, in the 1980s. “The Arab Chamber chartered an airplane for the delegation, headed to a place that, until then, was considered to be a distant place to Brazilians,” he recalled.
Hannun also highlighted that the strength and dedication of Yazigi remain solid. On Tuesday morning, for instance, Yazigi was in the Arab Chamber to a presentation given by executives from the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, United Arab Emirates. “Now, he’s receiving this honor. And later on he will hold a signing session of his two books,” pointed out the president of the Arab Chamber.
Nearly sixty people attended the honoring, which was followed by a cocktail party and the book signing held by Yazigi of his books Building Technique, which reached the 16th edition, and Gastronomy Glossary, in its second edition. “The first is a technical book, for consultation. It’s almost 900 pages. The other is more of a hobby, a Gastronomy Glossary English-Portuguese,” said Yazigi.
Building Technique is a reference book in the construction industry and its first edition was launched almost 20 years ago. Yazigi is an engineer and owner of the namesake construction industry.
In his speech, the president of the Management Council pointed out the importance of the Arab Chamber, of which his father, José Yazigi, was one of the founders 65 years ago.
“I’m extremely flattered, honored with this recognition, and I can only thank the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, for which I have been working for for a long time. I’m very proud to have contributed to its growth,” said Yazigi.
At the end of the ceremony, the plaque with the name Walid Yazigi was uncovered – it will name the auditorium from now on. Also part of the honoring ceremony was the handing out of a flower bouquet by the wife of the Arab Chamber’s president, Alessandra Hannun, to one of Yazigi’s daughters, Cláudia Yazigi, who was representing her mother Arlete, who could not attend.
Multipurpose
Executives from Ras Al Khaimah attended an event in the morning on the 11th floor of the Santa Catarina building, on Paulista Avenue. In the afternoon, the guests came in for Yazigi’s books’ launch and autograph signing session. “This goes to show that the Arab Chamber has a multipurpose space available that can host different types of events,” Hannun said.
The 11th floor comprises areas including an events hall, the auditorium, an Arab handicraft gallery, the Jamil Saliba Library, a praying room and a meeting room.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani and Gabriel Pomerancblum
