Al-Ghazieh Town in Lebanon Presents Honorary Citizenship Certificate to Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh

AL-GHAZIYEH, Saida – Al-Ghazieh, a southern Lebanon town has honored HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), by granting him and his family a certificate of the town’s honorary citizenship . This honor is in recognition of Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s loyalty to Al-Ghazieh, where he landed as a 10-year-old child with his family, seeking shelter after  being forced out of their homeland by the Zionist invasion  of Palestine in 1948.

During a ceremony which was organized by Al-Safir High School in Al-Ghaziyeh, in cooperation with MENA EdTech Alliance, Al-Ghaziyeh mayor Mr. Ahmed Khalifa presented  the certificate to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh in the presence of a host of ministers, MPs, officials and high-ranking dignitaries.
The ceremony included video clippings showing various stages of Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s life journey and his relationship with the family of the late Hajj Reda Khalifa, followed by a speech by his grandson Mr. Talal Khalifa. 

In his address, Mr. Khalifa referred to various stations in Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh's life journey, applauding his Arab and international accomplishments, and his loyalty to Al-Ghaziyeh and its people, which he has never forgotten despite his tight schedule and vast responsibilities. 

He concluded by saying, “Dr. Talal, all we can do is to welcome you back to your Al-Ghaziyeh town, as you have been the dean of its community since you arrived to it in 1948. May God bless you and keep you as a cultural beacon for generations.” “Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh… From Jaffa to Al-Ghaziyeh, and from here to the world and back to Al-Ghaziyeh. We pray to God to keep you a role model of knowledge and innovation for all. May God Bless You, May God Bless Lebanon, May God Bless Palestine,” Talal Khalifa added.

For his part, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh expressed his thanks, gratitude, and appreciation for receiving such honor, stating: “When I came to Al-Ghaziyeh, I learned values of love, other noble values, generosity and everything that is beautiful from this city, which is the most beautiful city in the world.” 
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also added that he arrived to Al-Ghaziyeh when he was 10 years old with his family, and were hosted by the late Hajj Reda, as guests in this great town, recalling his memories when the late Hajj used to invite him to Al Diwan to sit with him and with the town notables and listen to their discussions.

He affirmed that during these times, he learnt what young people could have never learnt, which was a place for knowledge and learning. These discussions taught Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, that brainpower is the most precious asset in the world. 

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh concluded by thanking the great city and its leaders, as well as Talal Khalifa, who was named after Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh upon the request of the late Hajj Reda. He further said that he owes credit to Lebanon and particularly to its south where he learned generosity, hospitality, knowledge and everything good.