AL-GHAZIYEH, Lebanon – HE Dr. Talal
Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Globla),
jointly with Al-Safir High School General Manager, Dr. Sultan Nasser Al-Din,
has inaugurated Hajj Reda Khalifa Knowledge Station at the School’s premises in
southern Lebanon. The opening was held in the presence of a host of ministers,
MPs, officials, and high-ranking dignitaries.

At the beginning of the ceremony
Dr. Nasser expressed a very warm welcome for Dr. Abu Ghazaleh saying: “Dr.
Abu-Ghazaleh is a role model, and his mission
is to promote knowledge everywhere.” He affirmed that Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s life
journey is an inspiration, and the opening the Knowledge Station is an
acknowledgment of his continued loyalty to Al-Ghaziyeh
Town.

Dr. Nasser also went on to recall the time
when Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh was forced to leave his
home land in Palestine, arriving by boat to Al-Ghaziyeh as a 10-years old
boy with his family; the town which warmly welcomed him, thanks to the
generosity of the late Hajj Reda Khalifa who gave him love and shelter,
affirming that the station was
named after Hajj Reda Khalifa as an expression of love and loyalty from
Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh’s to his second father. 

For his part, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh reiterated his deep love for Al-Ghaziyeh and its people; the town
where he lived and grew up since his arrival with his family as refugees from
Palestine. He stated, “I owe you because I managed one day to stand up on the United Nations’ podium and proudly say
that I came from Al-Ghaziyeh,
which was once my hometown.”

He pointed out that his mission has
always been the promotion of knowledge as he advocated the importance of
considering access to knowledge as a human right; therefore, he did his best to
implement his vision by establishing knowledge stations in the Arab countries
to make knowledge and ICT available to all.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh noted that Al-Ghaziyeh was his initial step towards instituting the foundations of
knowledge in the world, particularly when he chaired the United Nations
Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF)  in
2001, indicating that cooperation with Lebanon’s Prime Ministry will be conducted
to launch a comprehensive program to fight digital illiteracy throughout the
country.

The ceremony was attended by former minister of
Public Health in Lebanon, HE Mr. Mohamad Jawad Khalifeh; Members of Parliament
Mr. Ali Osseiran, Mr. Michel Moussa, and Mr. Osama Saad; Chief of the
Intelligence Branch of the South Colonel Suhail
Harb; Representative of the General Director of the Directorate of General
Security Mr. Abbas Ibrahim, Major Hussein Younis; and the Mufti of Tyre and Jabal Amel,
Sheikh Hassan Abdullah. That is in addition to the representative of Ms. Bahia
Hariri, Dr. Osama Arnaout; Head of the Southern Educational Region, Mr. Ahmed
Saleh; the MENA EdTech Alliance President, Dr. Rabie Baalbaki; President of
Makassed Islamic Philanthropic Society – in Saida, Dr. Nesrine Dennaoui; Vice President
of American University for Technology, Mr. 
Fayez Al Bizri; Mayor of Al-Ghaziyeh, Ahmed Ramzi Khalifeh; and members of the
Municipal Council.