Sam Bahour
Encyclopedia
Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American businessman and entrepreneur who moved with his family to the Israel
i-occupied West Bank
in the 1990s following the signing of Oslo Accords
to become involved in developing the economy of the future Palestinian state.
Bahour was born in Ohio
in 1964 to a Palestinian
father and Lebanese-American mother. He graduated from Youngstown State University
in 1989 with a degree in computer technology, and subsequently worked for several American
software firms, before moving to the West Bank
in 1995.
Since relocating to the West Bank
, Bahour has been involved in numerous business development initiatives. He was part of a group of businessmen who established the Palestine Telecommunications Company
. He also founded several private businesses, and has been behind a plan to open the first Western-style shopping center in the Palestinian Territories
. In addition, he earned an MBA in a joint program between Northwestern University
in Illinois
and Tel Aviv University
in Israel
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i-occupied West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
in the 1990s following the signing of Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
to become involved in developing the economy of the future Palestinian state.
Bahour was born in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1964 to a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
father and Lebanese-American mother. He graduated from Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
in 1989 with a degree in computer technology, and subsequently worked for several American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
software firms, before moving to the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
in 1995.
Since relocating to the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, Bahour has been involved in numerous business development initiatives. He was part of a group of businessmen who established the Palestine Telecommunications Company
Paltel
Paltel Group or Palestinian Telecommunication Group is the largest private-sector company in the Palestinian territories, employing almost 2,000 people...
. He also founded several private businesses, and has been behind a plan to open the first Western-style shopping center in the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
. In addition, he earned an MBA in a joint program between Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.