On April 15th, LebNet Canada held an event to honor the life and accomplishments of Nabil Bukhalid, a Lebanese Internet evangelist and Internet Hall of Fame inductee. 

Nabil Bukhalid was an accomplished Lebanese tech leader. He graduated from the American University of Beirut with an Electrical Engineering Degree in 1981 and an Executive Master in Business Administration in 2005. After graduating, he led the Computing and Networking team at the university and introduced the Internet to Lebanon. In 1993, he established the Lebanese Domain Registry (LBDR) and served as administrator and registrar for the .LB ccTLD since its creation. Bukhalid was also the founder of the Lebanese Academic and Research Network (LARN), co-founder of the Lebanese Broadband Manifesto Support Group (LBSG) and BeirutIX, Lebanon’s first Internet Exchange Point.  Nabil was also a co-founder and ex-president of the Internet Society Lebanon chapter; co-founder and CEO of the Lebanese Internet Center; and advisory board member of the Lebanese Canadian Tech Hub, which merged with LebNet to become LebNet Canada in 2018. 

The main focus of the event was the inauguration of the Nabil Bukhalid Computer Lab at l’École Notre-Dame de Nareg and was preceded by a mass celebrated by Father Paul Kazandijan. Nabil Bukhalid's wife, Joumana, and son Sami were present at the inauguration, which was attended by about 45 people in person and 12 via WebEx. The lab received a donation of 23 laptops, made possible by the generous contributions of various individuals and organizations.

During the event, Father Paul Kazandijan, Fadi Joseph, who is the President of LebNet Canada, Roger Karam from LIFE Canada and Monsef Derraji, a Canadian politician and Member of the National Assembly of Quebec, delivered inspiring speeches, highlighting Nabil's significant contributions to Lebanon's tech industry. Towards the end of the event, Deputy Monsef awarded a certificate of recognition to Nabil's wife and son.

Nabil Bukhalid’s inspiring life and achievements will forever be remembered and celebrated by all Lebanese. May his soul rest in peace.

(Group photo including Nabil Bukhalid's wife Joumana and son Sami accepting the certificate of recognition)

(The new computer lab)

(The donated laptops)