Lebanon, Australia working together to build two great nations that all can be proud of

 “… The chamber made a major leap forward this year by overseeing the signing of the largest contract ever between Australia and Lebanon.” Joe Khattar

The Australian-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce held its annual ball and awards night on

Saturday, November 19, in Sydney. The guest of honour was Barnaby Joyce, Acting Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, and Member for New England and Mrs. Natalie Joyce. Also other guests were attended as councillors, presidents, leaders of businesses, charities, community associations, clubs and local media.

Joe Khattar

It is amazing to note how fast time is running, and it’s hard to believe that it has been a year since we gathered here to celebrate this great event.

I’m delighted to inform you that the chamber made a major leap forward this year by overseeing the signing of the largest contract ever between Australia and Lebanon for the largest ever Australian health projects in Lebanon.

We as Australians are extremely proud of this major development that will undoubtedly encourage further involvement in Lebanon and beyond, and vice versa. These health projects consist of a cancer centre in the Bekaa area and biomedical production plants in the same precinct that will serve the Lebanese and Middle East markets.

Thanks to the chamber’s Head of Trade Relations, Michael Rizk for his perseverance over the years, and his relentless drive to have Australian products and services penetrate the Middle East market.

We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our partner, Arab Bank Australia Limited, on their 30th anniversary, specifically Joe Rizk for his continuously sound leadership and the rest of the board, including chairman Geoff Wild and Les Taylor, a board member, for keeping and maintaining stability and growth for the bank.

I would like to express our gratitude and thanks to the Shoman family, the bank’s founders and previous owners, for showing their confidence in Australian financial industries 30 years ago, which has led to other major multi-billion dollar businesses from the Middle East operating and investing in Australia ... that is what the chamber would like to support and encourage. 

Barnaby Joyce

Our nation is an incredible nation and this city is an incredible city.  It is so good to be part of a community that we look up.We look up and over the harbour and think it is part of your city, your community. It is like when you bring people back from the Middle East or other parts of the world to this city we are proud of.  We can show them and say this is us it is what we have achieved.  This is what we have delivered.

“This is a celebration tonight of your community, our community.”

Barnaby Joyce

In agriculture we do so much business with the Middle East and so much is done through Beirut; we do billions, thousands of billions of dollars worth of business with Beirut. I am so proud that my wife is part Lebanese and that incredible tapestry is part of my children who are also part Lebanese; they’re part Lebanese, part Irish and 100 per cent Australian.  This is a celebration tonight of your community, our community.  We are already a great nation but we’ll be a stronger nation, a better nation and we will build on so much that we have.

Riad Salameh

We have a long standing relationship between the Australian Lebanese Commerce Chambers and the Central Bank of Lebanon. We had many recurring  meetings with Mr Rizk and we consider Mr Rizk a pillar in the relationship between Australia and Lebanon.  The  Central Bank of Lebanon has developed financial strategies that helped create confidence in the banking sector in Lebanon and attracted  billions of dollars. Today this sector is capable of funding the private and public sectors in Lebanon. 

“We consider Mr Rizk a pillar in the relation between Australia and Lebanon.”

Riad Salameh

All those who establish companies in Lebanon can have access to our products and at very low interest rates.  Lebanon is a getaway for the Middle East and  for Africa, also partially Eastern Europe. Our banks are present in all Arab countries, Europe, United States and Australia. We think the synergy between the business and banking communities can create a good business, profitable business and we encourage you to look at this option.  I wish all the best for Lebanese living in Australia and the best for Australians.