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Eng. Dr. Osmane AÏDI
Chairman – Osmane Mounif Aidi Foundation for Culture,
Communication and Development – Europe
Chairman – many Engineering, Contracting, Industrial,
Commercial, Water and Touristic companies, including
CHAM Palaces & CHAMTOUR – different countries
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Graduation in 1952 from Polytechnics Institute of Grenoble, France, specialist in
water techniques, irrigation, dams and drainage. State Diploma, Ph. D of Hydraulics
Sciences from the Academy of Paris (December 1955 ).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
He came back to Syria in January 1956 and is from that date exerting his activities
in the Middle East and Europe in his specialty and in all other engineering and
studies matters, and economic fields in addition to the press as he was in the sixties
President of the “Ousbou Arabi” the well known pan-Arab publication, during its
zenith.
Among the contracting achievements, he erected in 1958 the first of the Syrian dams
in addition to the Figeh drink water project in Damascus, the Lattakia drink water
(Sinn Projects 1962 ), in addition to having been since 1962 professor of Hydraulics
Engineering Science in both Aleppo and Damascus Universities.
In the early seventies he gave interest to the hotels industry and tourism as he
constructed some hotels to the benefit of the Ministry of Tourism and was in 1977
Chairman of the first share holding company following a special law, 15 years after
the nationalization in Syria, a company which was the first structure of CHAM Palaces
& Hotels and CHAMTOUR, yet without neglecting his basic specialty in all what
concerns the water problems.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Eng. Dr. Aidi was awarded many distinctions from eight Arab and Foreign Countries
including the United Nations. He praises in particular the Syrian Merit Distinction,
Excellence Grade, which President Hafez Al-Assad awarded him in 1972 as he was
the only person from the private sector to be granted that distinction. To mention
also the French “Legion d’Honneur” distinctions in their different grades and from
different French eras i.e. both the rightist and leftist, the first one having been
awarded by President Charles de Gaulle and the last one the distinction with
the “Commandor” Grade being the highest one that France awards to a person
belonging to the private sector.
Water Reuse and Desalination: Experience and Opportunity
TECHNICAL PROGRAM 17