I met Paul twenty-two years ago and immediately appreciated his talent, his humanity, and his sense of humour. We became close friends without effort. Since then, we have shared a lot of different activities. For me, Paul was an amazing storyteller – and it seemed to me that he lived several lives during his lifetime, from Syria to Lebanon to Saudi Arabia and the US, to France and finally to Egypt. The fantastic stories he lived in each of those countries were shared in their smallest details without forgetting a name or omitting a situation whether it was in his favour or not. They were narrated with such humility that it could only teach and inspire! But the real stars of these episodes were undeniably his family members, starting with his wife Nina, a great lady who loved and trusted him; his sons Karim and Cyril, both hard workers, that were always having a hard time keeping up with his entrepreneurial ideas; his daughters in law and of course his grandchildren that he loved dearly and were his pride and joy.Those stars had the great fortune to live next to such a great human being. I would have loved to have known him when I was much younger, but I am nevertheless very grateful for the time I spent knowing him and working with him. Rest in peace my dear friend and until we meet again.

We received with deep sorrow the news from Cyril Haddad, the son of our dear friend Paul G. Haddad, of his father’s passing in Egypt; the final chapter of his professional journey, where he established a brokerage company bearing his name. Paul began his professional journey in Beirut, where he started working with Nasco Karaoglan, which tasked him with opening a branch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At the time, Nasco represented the French insurance company La Foncière, and there was no cooperative insurance law in Saudi Arabia. During that period, insurance companies operated under the sponsorship of a Saudi businessman. Paul achieved remarkable success in the Kingdom, eventually managing UCA Saudi Arabia, a company founded by prominent businessmen, including Sheikh Ghaith Pharaon. When Paul decided to pursue an independent career, Lebanon was engulfed in war. He chose Egypt as the headquarters for the brokerage company he established, where he spent the final chapter of his professional life. With his passing, Lebanon has lost a pioneer who helped lay the foundations of the insurance industry in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Lebanon.

We began our journey in 1949 as young students at the Aintoura Institute in Kesrouan. We spent many years together in the battle of life, going through many bumps along the way. We both travelled for long periods and met up occasionally. Time passed quickly, and destiny brought us together in Riyadh. We spent rich years filled with friendship, work, and success, despite all the hardships that struck us. Finally, you achieved what you had always wished for – to be independent within your own country. Your devoted wife was always keen on gathering the family and building with you what you had longed for. So, fear no more, as your ship now sails safely upwards. Your young are watching over it. Rest peacefully among kings and pyramids, in the realm of those who have passed.

Paul G. Haddad was an exceptional person and professional in many ways. He travelled across Arab countries, the US, and Europe, and succeeded in establishing himself as an outstanding broker. With his multi-cultural background, he made Egypt, as well as Sudan and other countries, his field for business development. In this regard, he was a pioneer. His legacy will not fade; it will remain through the companies he created and through his children.

My encounter with Paul goes back to the early 80’s at a dinner hosted by a common friend in New Jersey when he came to coincidentally sit next to me on a couch. A lady guest was looking for her lost purse. Finally, she found it! Paul inadvertently had sat on it. We laughed all night and that’s how our friendship started. Paul introduced me to the insurance world. Because of him I developed an insurance practice as a lawyer. I acted as counsel for the insurance companies which were created by Paul in the US and worked closely with him throughout his time there. He was my best guide, and he extended to me his deep and long experience of the industry. Above all, we shared many of the same life interests and family values. My wife Vera and I keep the best memories of the many vacations, visits and events that we enjoyed with Paul and Nina. Paul’s memories will stay alive with us, and we will all miss him.

I always remember the first day I met Paul. A charismatic leader who was one of the most knowledgeable in all insurance aspects. I learned a lot from his experience and strategic thinking. Not too many have his dynamism, creativity and passion. He brought a lot to the industry. Not only in Egypt but in many other countries. RIP my dear Paul.

Paul G. Haddad. I picked up the pen to write his name. It was very difficult for me because I had got used to hearing his voice every evening calling me - ‘Eli, what are you doing tonight? Shall we meet at the house?’ Then, he would call most of our friends to join us for his sweet and pleasant gatherings. They would say, ‘Perhaps he is a brother that your mother never gave birth to.’ But Paul, I can say with all honesty, you are the most important brother of all, more than any brother born to a mother, in love, help, enthusiasm, loyalty, dedication, and sincerity. We were together for almost forty years, enriching our lives with goodness and blessings. I cannot explain all the details, there are so many. And today, your offspring are the captains of the ship, so do not fear the success before them. Rest in peace, my dear friend. Peace be upon you, my brother Paul, and may you dwell in the gardens of bliss.

Paul G. Haddad was a colleague and friend. I had been hearing the name Paul G. Haddad since the beginning of my appointment as Chairman of the Egyptian Insurance Supervisory Authority in 2005. The news I heard was that he had great experience in health insurance and that his company’s activity at that time was the largest in Egypt. There was then a dispute between his company and one of the government insurance companies, and when studying the dispute file, we found that he was in the right, according to the contracts between the two companies, despite the attempt of the state insurance company, which tried to woo us against him. I asked to meet Paul in my office at the supervisory body, and I began to get to know him personally. Since that interview, I began to understand and take care about the techniques around health insurance, most of which were not present in books or training institutes, nor the authority at that time. They did not have a great interest or a thorough knowledge of private health insurance... Our meeting at conferences, and his visits to the authority, increased and I enjoyed talking to him because of his encyclopaedic experience in insurance, his fun spirit and his humble personality. He had a great merit in the graduation of a large number of employees with him and they moved on to hold prestigious positions as a result of their graduation from the Paul G. Haddad Academy. Paul is considered one of the pioneers of managing private health insurance programmes in Egypt and a designer of health insurance management programmes that have expanded and increased the growth of this type of activity through his experience and knowledge as well as the graduates and employees of his company who helped in the growth and expansion of the private health insurance market.

I have known the late Paul G. Haddad since 1990. When I first met him, I realized he is a unique person, different from all other insurance brokers I have seen. Paul had such a passion for delivering the best services to his client whilst applying the most favourable terms and conditions to them, but he was more keen to apply fairness to the Insurance companies at the same time. Paul was a true mentor for a lot of people in the Egyptian insurance market, and many of the very good insurance brokers in the market have been Paul’s students and staff. When I see most of them successful now and running a real first-class Insurance business, I understand how much he was able to invest in them and put them all on the right track. The positive and unbelievable thing is that they were all competing with him at one point in time, but he was never upset, but to the contrary, he was such a great supporter to us all. I learnt a lot from dealing with him and I was totally fascinated with his personality and the way he was keen to work and provide innovative solutions to his clients. I have never seen him getting old but to the contrary he was, in his way of thinking of insurance products and services, younger than all of us. I am one of his admirers and will continue to remember him as long as I live.