Talal Abu-Ghazaleh
Encyclopedia
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization
The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization , is an international holding company employing over 2,000 multi-disciplined professionals and operating out of 70 offices in the Middle East and North Africa, with representative offices in Europe, Asia and North America.The Organisation is a leading provider of...
(TAG-Org). Dubbed as the godfather of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
accounting, Abu-Ghazaleh has also been credited for promoting the significance of Intellectual Property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
in the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
.
Biography
Born on April 22, 1938 in JaffaJaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Abu-Ghazaleh eventually moved to the Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
village of Ghaziyeh.
Whilst still an undergraduate, he worked as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and translator. His first job after graduating was in an audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
firm.
In 1969, upon hearing a speech on intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
(IP) at a Time-Warner conference in San Francisco, USA, Abu-Ghazaleh decided to launch a career in the fields of Intellectual property rights
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
(IPRs) and accounting.
In 1972, two firms - Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Company (TAGCO) and Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) - were set up, specializing in the fields of accounting and IP respectively. Since then, Abu-Ghazaleh founded a total of fourteen professional service firms specialized in various sector fields such as management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
, legal services, IT and much more.
Over the years, Abu-Ghazaleh managed to establish close partnerships with global organizations such as the UN and the WTO.
On April 4, 2007, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed Abu-Ghazaleh, as deputy chairman of the UN Global Compact
UN Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact, also known as Compact or UNGC, is a United Nations initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation...
during its second meeting held at the UN headquarters in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
On October 24, 2007, Abu-Ghazaleh was inducted to the IP Hall of Fame in Chicago, USA, to become the first expert from outside the G8 countries to join the world's most prominent figures in IP.
On June 17, 2009, UN appoints Abu-Ghazaleh Chair of UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development
Global Alliance for ICT and Development
The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development is a subgroup or continuation of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force...
. After receiving a letter from the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) HE Sha Zukang inviting him to lead the Alliance, composed of representatives from public, private and civil society sectors as well as international organizations.
On November 25, 2010, HE Senator Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) was appointed a member of the Upper House according to a Royal Decree by His Majesty King Abdullah II .
Selected Honors
- Honorary Award, The Arab Federation for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (AFPIPR), Jordan, 2009.
- The International Lifetime Achievement Award, Dubai, UAE, 2008.
- IP Hall of Fame Inductee, IP Hall of Fame Academy, Chicago, USA, 2007.
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Canisius College, New York, USA, 1988.
- Decoration of the Republic of Tunisia, 1985.
- Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, France, 1985.
- Coat of Arms of the Kuwaiti Association of Accountants and Auditors, 1983.
- Gold Mercury International Award, Bahrain, 1978.
- Decoration of Independence of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Jordan 1967.
Selected Chairmanships
- Chair, Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), New York – USA (2009).
- Chairman, The Afro-Asian Knowledge Society Council- Egypt (2009).
- Chairman, Encyclopedia of Excellence and Civilization Committee, Riyadh – KSA (2008).
- Vice Chairman Board of Directors, UN Global Compact, New York – USA (2007–2008).
- Deputy Chair, Evian Group Governing Body, Geneva – Switzerland (2006–present).
- Chair, Evian Group-Arab Region (EGAR) (2006–2009).
- Vice-Chair, Global Alliance for ICT and Development, New York – USA (2006–present).
- Chairman, Business Action to Support the Information Society (BASIS), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC),Paris - France (2006–2008).
- Chairman, Board of Trustees, Perspective Europe, Paris – France (2005–2007).
- President, Arab Intellectual Property Meditation Society (AIPMAS), Amman-Jordan (2003–present).
- Chairman, Advisory Committee on Internet Governance, United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF), New York – USA (2003–2004).
- Chairman, The International Chamber of Commerce Task Force (ICC TF) on Internet Governance, Paris – France(2003–2004).
- Chair, Commission on E-Business, Information Technologies and Telecoms, International Chamber of Commerce(ICC), Paris – France (2001–2008).
- Vice-Chair, United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF), New York – USA (2001–2004).
- Chairman, The Arab Regional Network of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF), New York – USA (2001–2004).
- Chairman, The Working Group on Human Resources and Capacity Building (HRCB) of the United Nations Information and Communications Technologies, (UN ICT TF), New York – USA (2001–2002).
- First chairman of the Arab Internet Names Consortium (AINC), Amman- Jordan, (2001).
- Chairman of the Founders Meeting of the Arab Internet Names Consortium (AINC), Amman- Jordan (2001).
- President, Licensing Executives Society-Arab Countries (LES-AC), Amman-Jordan (1998–present).
- Chairman, U.N. Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR), New York – USA (1995–1996).
- Chairman, United Nations Committee of Experts on Professional Qualifications Standards, Geneva (1995–1998).
- Chairman of the Committee for the Newly Industrialized and Developing Countries Affairs, the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) (1989–1992).
- President, Arab Knowledge Management Society (AKMS), New York – USA (1989–present).
- President, Arab Society for Intellectual Property (ASIP), Munich (1987–present); in consultative status to the World Intellectual Property Organization, (WIPO).
- President, Arab Society of Certified Accountants (ASCA), London (1985–present); in consultative status with the U.N. Economic and Social Council, (ECOSOC).
Selected Board Memberships
- International Advisory Committee, E-City for King Hamad Ibn Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain (2009).
- Honorary Board Membership, Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization (2008).
- Executive Board, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris- France (2007–2009).
- Board of Trustees, Arab Anti Corruption Organization (2007–Present).
- Board of Directors, UN Global Compact, New York, USA (2006–2008).
- Advisory Board, Evian Group, Geneva, Switzerland (2005–Present).
- Board of Directors, King Hussein Foundation, Washington, USA (2005–Present).
- The International Consultative Board, the World Coalition, New York, USA (2005).
- Board of Directors, World Links Arab Countries Advisory Council, (2004–2005).
- Public Sector Consultative Group, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), New York-USA (2003–2006)
- Board of Trustees, King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Amman, Jordan (2003–2006)
- Board of Trustees, National Music Conservatory (NMC), Amman, Jordan (2003–2005).
- Board of Directors, World Links Worldwide, Washington, USA (2003–2004).
- Knowledge Economy Community, Development Gateway, World Bank, Washington, USA (2002–2005).
- Advisory Board, United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF), New York, USA (2001–2004).
- Advisory Board, Industry Advisory Commission, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, Switzerland (1999–2000).
- Board of Advisors, Middle East Council of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Washington, USA (1995–1997).
- Member of the Board, International Federation of Accountants Council (IFAC), New York, USA (1992).
- Member of the Board, International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), London, United Kingdom, (1988–1990).
- Member of the Board, International Auditing Practices Committee (IAPC) of IFAC, New York, USA (1987–1990).
- Board of Governors, Keck Center for International Strategic Studies, Claremont, California, USA (1985–1988).
- Board of Trustees, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon (1980–1982).
Music Patronages
- Patron, The Second Modernity: The Artistic Collaboration of FairuzFairuzNouhad Wadi Haddad , famously known as Fairuz is a Lebanese singer who is widely considered to be the most famous living singer in the Arab world and one of the best known of all time...
and Ziad RahbaniZiad RahbaniZiad Rahbani is a Lebanese composer, pianist, performer, playwright, and political commentator. His compositions are well-known throughout the Arab world...
Conference, Anis Makdisi Program in Literature, American University in Beirut (AUB), Lebanon (2006). - Patron, Walid Gholmieh Symphonies (2006).
- PatronPatrónPatrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
, L’Association pour le Rayonnement de l’Opéra National de Paris (AROP) (2004–present). - Patron, Lebanese National Symphony OrchestraLebanese National Symphony OrchestraL’Orchestre symphonique national du Liban or The Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra was founded in late 1999 in Beirut under the guidance of Dr. Walid Gholmieh and the management of Le Conservatoire libanais national supérieur de musique or The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music...
(LNSO) (2003–present). - Board of Trustees and Chair, National Music Conservatory (NMC), Amman, Jordan (2003–2005).
- Private Concert by Ramzy Yassa & Ghada Ghanem Concert, Cambridge, UK (2004).
- Patron, l'Opéra de Paris, France (2001–present).
- Private concert by the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria (2000).
- 28th General Assembly for the International Music CouncilInternational Music CouncilThe International Music Council was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, where it functions as an independent international non-governmental organization...
, PetraPetraPetra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
, (Jordan) (September 1999). - TAGO Golden Jubilee concert, London, UK (July 1997).http://www.chamber.org.hk/wsc/speakers/TalalABUGHAZALEH.pdf
- Private concert by Ramzi Yassa, Seattle, USA (1994).
- Patron, Freunde der Salzburger Festspâele, Salzburg, Austria (1976–present).
Statements on Zionism and Jews
In an interview with Decision Makers TV which aired on July 14, 2010 (as translated by MEMRI), Abu Ghazaleh alleged that:
In this day and age, Zionist power controls the decision-making centers. I always say that just like us Arabs, the US is a victim of Zionist influence, which often – if not always – steers US decisions against American interests, and in keeping with Zionist interests at all times...Hence, global Zionism created the notion of an enemy called “the terrorist Islam” ... Zionism, which has been plotting all this time, came across an historic opportunity, and convinced the US administration that this was an opportunity for it as well.
He further stated that "the research centers – albeit quietly and in secret – realize that the US sank into this quagmire, as a result of the Jewish hatred for Americans. Whoever thinks otherwise – believing that the Zionist enemy loves America, and acts in its best interests – is wrong."
In May 2010, the Journal of Turkish Weekly reported that Abu-Ghazaleh had announced plans to launch an intellectual movement that "aims at returning Jewish refugees currently residing in Palestine to their homelands." Abu-Ghazaleh explained that:
"...the Jewish existence in Palestine, which is a political asylum that will end by the return of the refugees to their homelands in a process that should be easy and civilized...It may seem that these Jewish groups left their homeland voluntarily, but in fact they were forced to leave their homelands after suffering all types of psychological, economic and social pressure not only in Europe, but also in America...there is a necessity to establish a national or international fund to finance the return of the Jewish refugees by providing their travel expenses and costs and their settlement upon their return to their homelands."
External links
- Mr.Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Personal Website
- Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization Website
- Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Vice Chairman of the ICT Task Force.
- Jordan Business Magazine Interview with Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh (The Grass is Greener ... On Both sides).