Mr. Issa Abdul Salam Abu Issa, Chairman and CEO of Salam International Investment LTD received the honorary title of “Commander in the Order of Leopold II” at a special ceremony in the Gate Mall. The award was bestowed upon by H.R.H Princess Astrid, (on behalf of) His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians.

The award recognizes his significant contribution to the Belgian presence and activities in Qatar, strengthening the cooperation between the two countries. The ceremony was held on the occasion of the Belgian Economic Mission to Qatar and was attended by high ranking officials, including; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, SME's, foreign Trade and new technologies of the Walloom Regional government and deputy prime minister and minister of higher education of the fresh community government, HE Jean-Claude Marcourt; Flemish Minister for Work, Economics, Innovation, and Sports, HE Philippe Muyters; Federal Secretary of State for foreign Trade, HE Pieter De Crem; Ambassador of Qatar in Belgium, HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani; Ambassador of Belgium in Qatar, HE Christophe Payot and other honourable VIPs. As part of the event, several B2B meetings were held with Salam subsidiaries, which saw the participation of about 109 companies.

As Chairman and CEO of Salam International, Abu Issa has been instrumental in diversifying the family business portfolio by establishing strategic partnerships with several reputable international firms. One of the strongest and most successful collaboration has been with BARCO – a display hardware and software manufacturer founded in Belgium. Salam Technology, one of Salam International’s business units, has over 80 installations of BARCO products in the country, with over 1,000 users per day, resulting in an annual revenue generation of $5 million.

Salam International has also been working closely with other Belgium-based companies across a variety of sectors including: LUCIAD (Technology), Harco Group (Technology), KCC (Entertainment) and STOLZ (Interior).

Commenting on the award, Mr. Issa Abdul Salam Abu Issa said, “I am greatly humbled by this honourable felicitation. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to H.R.H Princess Astrid and His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians, for recognising Salam International’s role in fortifying ties between Belgium and the State of Qatar.

“Through the wise leadership of the Emir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir; Salam International has developed strong alliances with some of

the leading companies in Belgium. This has successfully helped us penetrate the European market, which in turn has brought the latest in technology and innovation to Qatar. We are deeply committed to expand and nurture our collaborations to revolutionise the trade between the two major economies.”

Expressing her delight with the award ceremony, H.R.H Princess Astrid said, “It is our honour to bestow upon Mr Abu Issa the prestigious “Commander in the Order of

Leopold II” title. Mr Issa has played a tremendous role in facilitating trade relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and the State of Qatar. It is under his leadership

that Salam International has successfully opened up new avenues for commercial activities and strategic collaborations between the two nations.”

The Order of Leopold II award was established on 24 August 1900 by King Leopold II. The order is awarded to both Belgians and foreigners in recognition of their commendable services to the Sovereign of Belgium.

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

QNE

Start a discussion