Antoine Nehme

Antoine Nehme
Native name أنطوان اميل نعمه
Born Antoine Emil Nehme
(1930-01-15)15 January 1930
Mandatory Palestine
Died 28 July 2010(2010-07-28) (aged 80)
Lebanon
Nationality Lebanese
Occupation Businessman

Antoine Nehme (Arabic: أنطوان نعمه; born 15 January 1930) is a Lebanese business man whose career began in the Gulf. He founded one of the oldest established companies in Doha, Qatar currently known simply as Nehmeh serving the Middle East Region. Nehmeh has been recognized for many of Qatar's firsts[1] as a commercial enterprise. It has further been the recipient of various awards and accolades through the years.[2]

Birth and Early life

Antoine Emil Nehme was born on 15 January 1930 in Haifa, Palestine to the large Lebanese family of Nehme. As the eldest child of a large household (3 brothers and 4 sisters), he was often looked upon as a bread-earner and for leadership by his family. He was a trilingual (Arabic, French and English respectively) by nature and the environment to where he was exposed to including in various schooling (including Collège des Frères) and training in both Palestine and Lebanon. On the onset of the Nakbah in 1948, together with his family, had to flee to Lebanon for safety. In 1953, he moved to Qatar for work & opportunity.

Professional career

Antoine Nehme began his career in Qatar with a Lebanese company which was founded in Haifa by the name of Contracting And Trading.[3] After his contract expired in 1955, he decided to stay in Qatar. Eager to grow together with the young nation of Qatar, Antoine Nehme setup a small domestic trading establishment a few years later in Doha to represent and build international brands in the local marketplace. Both as a pioneer and an independent businessman, Antoine Nehme kept and admirable pace – striving to meet the ever increasing demands of a country in the path of rapid growth which continues till this day.[4] He further went to setup several companies including NATCO,[5] MEPC, National Radiator Factory[6] which were later united under the trademark of Nehmeh.[7]

Death

Antoine Nehme died on 28 July 2010 at 80 years of age in Beirut, Lebanon and is survived by his wife, four children, and several grandchildren.

Philanthropy

Antoine Nehme was always a person of giving and positive citizenship and he remained an avid supporter of various centers in the cultural, community, sports and educational initiatives in various countries. Five years after his passing, the Antoine Nehme Foundation[8] was setup[9] with goals to help and alleviate the needy and to preserve his legacy in 2015.

Antoine Nehme in a private audience with His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifah Al Thani, Emir of Qatar.

Media

In early 2012, a TV documentary was aired on Qatar TV celebrating his life & career in Doha.[10]

In May 2016, a book was published of his life & times entitled Blessings in the Sand: The Antoine Nehme Legacy.[11]

Nehmeh Group

Nehmeh group[12] or sometimes referred to as Nehmeh International Holdings, is a multi-faceted business group with specialized industrial divisions serving the automotive, construction, heat transfer, service and wood industries as well as other sectors namely hospitality and information technology.

References

  1. ↑ www.nehmeh.com. "Did you know? History of Firsts". Nehmeh. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  2. ↑ www.nehmeh.com. "Accolades through the years". Nehmeh. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  3. ↑ ":::: The C.A.T Group ::::". www.catgroup.net. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  4. ↑ nehmehcorp (15 July 2011), Nehmeh – Founder Antoine Nehme's Legacy, retrieved 2016-05-09
  5. ↑ International Commerce. Bureau of International Commerce. 1 January 1969.
  6. ↑ "QATARI BUSINESSMEN ASSOCIATION-Useful Links". www.qataribusinessmen.org. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  7. ↑ www.nehmeh.com. "What does Nehmeh mean?". Nehmeh. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  8. ↑ "Antoine Nehme Foundation – Arab.org NGO Directory". arab.org. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  9. ↑ "Legal – Antoine Nehme Foundation". antoine.nehme.foundation. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  10. ↑ ":: تلفزيون قطر ::". www.qtv.qa. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  11. ↑ Blessings in the Sand: The Antoine Nehme Legacy. Advantage Media Group. 15 May 2016. ISBN 9781599326863.
  12. ↑ "Nehmeh". www.nehmeh.com. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
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