Prelude
Lebanonwire, creator of prominentlebanese.com and
bestinlebanon.com, began the hectic journey of providing news, analysis, and research in
1999.
The idea behind Lebanonwire was and still is the provision of live, on-the-spot news about
Lebanon, the Middle East, and the World at large. In so doing, Lebanonwire has always been
keen on portraying a wide array of stories, commentaries and analysis, with the purpose of
keeping its viewers abreast with all trends, developments, and diversities.
The coverage extends to Top Stories, Top Media, Middle East, United States, United
Kingdom, Europe, Asia Pacific, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, UAE, Yemen, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Paris, Russia, Spain and the
Vatican.
The coverage also engulfs a wide variety of
specialties, including business, finance, science, technology, internet, virus warning,
entertainment, fashion, sports, etc...
Lebanonwire, in its endeavor to exapnd, has also built another website dedicated to Prominent Lebanese,
and aims to extend the coverage to include prominent people in the Middle East and MENA
region.
The idea came to light in January 2003 after sensing the need to document the lives and
achievements of outstanding personalities.The need was specially felt when no such
endeavor was found to have ever provided an in-depth probe of this type of information.
Added to that is the high cost one has to pay to get information from newspaper archives
and other sources, assuming such information could be found.
There were of course scattered initiatives by individuals who published books portraying a
rather selective and mostly subject-oriented outlays of prominent biographies. But non has
reached out to put such information in a constantly updated, catch-all web site.
Thus came the idea of www.prominentlebanese.com, which, after about two years of strenuous
efforts and extensive research, has seen the light.
Best
in Lebanon, on the other hand, has been created at the request of subscribers
to Lebanonwire, which includes embassies,
diplomats, foreign missions, foreign service personnel, government officials, Lebanese
overseas, international businesses and businessmen, attorneys, universities, research
centers, researchers, public libraries, professionals, public interest groups and
individuals.
The idea behind Best in Lebanon is to provide these groups with a verified and concise
guide to what is best in Lebanon to save them the trouble of getting lost in the maze of a
multitude of advertising-orientend guides.
As such, Best in Lebanon endeavors to list
a carefully selected assortium of renowned products and services that cater well to the
needs of these groups.
To achieve this result, Best in Lebanon makes every effort to guarantee that listed
members comply with strict membership criteria basic among which is a proven record of
excellence.
The Team
Farid CHEDID (Founder and Chairman) Farid
Chedid is the political advisor of the Embassy of Japan in Lebanon, and the founder and
editor-in-chief Lebanonwire.com and ProminentLebanese.com. He is also a writer and a
political analyst. In addition, he is the owner and managing director of Lebanonwire since
1977. Earlier on, Farid worked as editor/translator at the Readers Digest Arabic Edition
(1987-1993), secretary to the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Foreign Affairs
(1971-1976), public relations manager of Trans Mediterranean Airways (1966-1968), and
press attaché at United Nations Information Center (1964-1966). He graduated form the
American University of Beirut in 1964 with a Bachelor Degree in Political Science. He also
studied at the International College in Beirut where he earned his first and second part
baccalaureates, and at the Marjeyoun National College where he completed part of his
elementary and secondary studies.
Marwan JABBOUR (General Manager)
Marwan Jabbour is a finance, administration and human
resources expert, with an experience of over 15 years in the field. Marwan started
elementary and secondary studies at the Christian Teaching Institute (CTI) in Beirut. He
then moved to the Lebanese American University (LAU) where he earned a B.A. in Business
Administration. After graduation, he joined World Vision International where he worked in
the fields of Finance, Administration and Human Resources Management. In the year 1999, he
went back to LAU where he continued his graduate studies with emphasis on Human Resources
Management and Development. He also earned an MBA degree from Eastern University in
Pennsylvania, USA, with focus on Leadership. Through the years, Marwan acquired vast
experience in different fields through extensive training and capacity building programs.
Currently, Marwan is a professor at the American University College of Science and
Technology, teaching Business Communications, Methods of Research, Human Resources
Management and Communication Skills. He is also an economic advisor to the Embassy of
Japan in Lebanon.
Emile CHEDID (Marketing Manager)
Emile has an experience of over 15 years in sales and marketing. With a degree in Business
Computer from ELC, Lebanon, his career focused on Information Technology where he gained
valuable experience in the field. He is also a web master with graphic design
capabilities, which he used constructively in building the 'Best in Lebanon' website, and
in updating and developing 'lebanonwire' and 'Prominent Lebanese'. He completed his
elementary and secondary studies at the College of the Good Shepherd School in Beirut.
Rachad RADI (IT Manager)
Rachad Radi has an experience of over 13 years in software development. He is the manager
and partner of Platform for E-Commerce, a company specialized in web sites development.
Early on, Rachad worked as a developer in Integro (1993-2000), a French company affiliated
in Lebanon and specialized in developing network software. He has graduated in 1991 from
the Lebanese University, Faculty of Engineer, with a Diploma in Electric and Electronic
engineering. In 1993, he got his masters degree in Computer Architecture from the
"Ecole National Supérieur d'Electricité, d'Electronique, d'Informatique et
d'Hydraulique de Toulouse" (ENSEEIHT) in France. His elementary and secondary studies
were achieved in Saint Joseph College Antoura.
Fawzi
METNI (Legal Advisor): Fawzi Metni is presently the managing partner of the
Aboukheir, Khouri & Metni Law Firm in Beirut, specializing in international and
comparative business, corporate, banking and finance laws. His expertise covers various
legal systems (Lebanese, Middle Eastern and European laws), and is also an
American-trained lawyer with a working experience acquired during his affiliation with the
New York based law firm “Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle”. Mr. METNI is
a Harvard Law School graduate (LLM’1979); attended and graduated from several other
law schools (Special Student in the joint-program LLM - MBA at Columbia Law School
(1981);- DEA, Droit des Affaires at Paris II University; - Comparative Law at Strasbourg
University; - French Law degree from Lyon University; - Lebanese Law degree from St.
Joseph University (The Jesuits University) in Beirut.
Mr. METNI is the Harvard Law School Association representative for the
Middle East and Afrcia.
Sites Profiles
Lebanonwire.com
Lebanonwire is a news portal specialized in providing the
latest news about Lebanon, the Middle East and the World at large, on a minute-to-minute
basis. In so doing, 'Lebanonwire' is keen on portraying a wide array of stories,
commentaries and analysis, with the purpose of keeping its viewers abreast with all
trends, developments, and diversities. The news 'Lebanonwire' provides engulf a wide
variety of specialties, including health, science, technology, business, medicine,
nutrition, entertainment, finance and sports, derived from over 3600 sources. In addition,
'Lebanonwire' offer its viewers the chance to retrieve news articles compiled in its
archives since 1999. 'Lebanonwire' also excels in providing original, on-the-spot-news,
bringing to the attention of its viewers timely top events as they take place around the
globe. 'Lebanonwire', which has been servicing its viewers since over five years now,
plans to continue the upward trend by creating prominentlebanese.com and an envisaged
chain of affiliated sites dedicated to prominent people across the Middle East.
Lebanonwire also prides itself by providing the full texts of historic documents relating
to the Arab Israeli conflict, and other significant documents. It also provides useful
data covering special-interest topics.
ProminentLebanese.com
Along with a chain of affiliated sites,
ProminentLebanese.com aims at highlighting the profiles of the prominent Lebanese who
succeeded in achieving great success in the world of public service, business, science,
music, art, and literature. The site, which portrays success stories of the Lebanese
living at home and abroad, aims at bridging the gap between Lebanese emigrants and their
motherland, as well as creating constructive interaction between them. The basic criteria
adopted in selecting members stipulates that 'inclusion necessitates success in
profession, where success is defined in terms of wealth, income, contribution to field and
social responsibility. Created by Lebanonwire, prominentlebanese.com will give its members
free access to Lebanonwire, which is deidicated to subscribers.
Bestinlebanon.com
In collaboration with its sister sites, 'Prominent
Lebanese' and 'Lebanonwire', Best in Lebanon aims at providing a carefully selected list
of Lebanon's best products and services in a highly functional, state-of-art,
presentation. In addition to acting as a reliable, straight-to-the-point guide, Best in
Lebanon provides valuable information about Lebanon and its tourist and historical sites.
It also provides a unique assortium of links to Lebanon's public and private sector
institutions and media. A section is also dedicated to news links covering the Middle East
and the world at large. Businesses appearing in the site are chosen in accordance with a
criteria ensuring that only the best are listed, or remain listed in the site. Thus, firms
listed in the site are given the status of members, and are accordingly accredited as
such. |
