Basim Ziadeh
Education:
International College Beirut
B Architecture from the American University of Beirut.
M Sc. in Architecture from the University of Bristol
Professional Career:
Established Areen Architects and Engineers in Beirut in 1978 along with Mutaz Sawwaf and later Omar Salhab. Moved the operation to London in 1983, and has been in the design and construction business ever since.
In 1982, helped establish Roots Group, which has evolved into a major player in the sale and distribution of building materials in the MENA region. www.roots-group.com. In 2018, Roots has relocated to the UK under the name of Roots Group UK ltd. The Group has a design branch under the Areen Design Ltd banner : www.areen.com , a manufacturing base in Egypt and SA, and building materials and heavy equipment distribution arm. Basim is a director of the UK Company.
In 1990, helped in establishing IFS, a wholesaler and retailer of food products in the Middle East. The business evolved into a giant catering business too. www.ifs.net.co .
In 1992, Basim was instrumental in the establishment of Kazareen Textile Group (www.kazareen.com), based in Cairo. Now the company has relocated in the UK under the name Kazareen Textile Group. One of its subsidiaries is in Dusseldorf www.promodoro.com and is a major player in B2B sales of apparel. Basim is a director of the UK Company.
Basim is active on other fronts. He is the Chairman of the Centre of Lebanese Studies in both the UK and Lebanon. The work of the Centre is to promote research on Labanon and is now concentrating on educational matters related to refugees in Lebanon. www.lebanesestudies.com
Basim directs the Areen Lecture Series at the American University Department of Architecture and is on the Advisory Board of the School of Engineering and Architecture.
Basim is a Board member of the Ibdaa Bank Lebanon, a micro-finance financial institution regulated by the Central Bank of Lebanon. www.ibdaalebanon.com . The bank provides small loans to 13,000 active clients. He has, along with his family, contributed to academic scholarships for the AUB, IC and the LAU and has contributed to the to the International College partnership for Excellence Campaign by co-funding the Preschool Building.