On the 23rd of March, Khatib & Alami lost its Partner and Executive Vice President, Mr. Samir Khatib. While we mourn the loss of a beloved leader, we pay tribute and celebrate a well-lived life committed to bettering communities, starting with his own country, Lebanon, and moving to cover most countries in the MENA region.

A Dedicated Leader and a Pioneer in Business
Nothing made Mr. Samir Khatib happier—except spending precious time with his family—than driving down to Khatib & Alami's head office in Beirut, meeting people and colleagues, and discussing new projects.

Born in Mazboud, Lebanon's Chouf District, in 1945, Mr. Samir, as everybody liked to call him, completed his secondary education in Lebanon before moving to Egypt to pursue university studies. He got a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Cairo in 1972, joined Khatib & Alami as an architect, and began developing a series of mega-projects for Lebanon. By 1978, Mr. Samir had established and managed the company's office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Everyone he worked with knew him for his transparency, diligence, and humble attitude. In 1983, he became a partner in the firm and a member of its board of directors.

After spending 17 years in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Samir returned to Lebanon in 1995 to be part of the company's top management team at its headquarters in Beirut, working with Lebanon's public and private sectors and providing consultancy services within the company's core competencies. Mr. Samir was known for his dedication to the company's growth and success and his commitment to fostering positive relationships with clients and colleagues. Along with his duties at K&A's headquarters in Beirut, Mr. Samir carried on as a partner in charge of the Jeddah office operations. He also played a vital role in establishing and managing several offices, including those in Algeria and Cairo, as well as helping to guide and supervise the company's offices in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Qatar, Syria, and Iraq.

A Legacy of Leadership and Social Responsibility
Few people leave behind a legacy of such dedication and accomplishment.
Mr. Samir's professional relations extended to several Arab countries, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. He was Vice President of the Lebanese-Saudi Businessmen Council and chaired the Federation of Lebanese Gulf Businessmen Council, bridging communication and cooperation between Lebanon and the Gulf countries.

Mr. Samir's social activities were never bound by time or space. He gave back to his community by contributing to and being involved in charitable, social, and humanitarian institutions such as hospitals, schools, and orphanages. He prioritized his country's growth and stability above all and was always eager to help in times of crisis. Following the 2006 war in Lebanon, he worked with all relevant ministries, led by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Lebanese Army Command, the High Relief Commission, and international organizations, to assess damages, and then with the High Relief Committee to assess the damage caused by security unrest and natural disasters in Lebanon. In the aftermath of 2007's North Lebanon battles, he also collaborated with relevant authorities in the Lebanese Army, the High Relief Committee, UNRWA, and Palestinian NGOs to oversee the reconstruction of the Nahr el-Bared camp.

With Mr. Samir's departure, the Lebanese and Arab business communities and all who knew him have lost one of their most devoted friends and most active members. Mr. Samir was dedicated to his family and his region. He was a loving, honest, and loyal man. His smile never left his face, even in the darkest of times, and this is how we will all remember him: the man who built bridges and left an indelible mark on us all, and as he kept repeating throughout and especially during his last hours: الحمد لله.