13/05/2026
-Dr. Ali Ajami, Diplomat, Scholar, Bridge Builder, and Co-founder of the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Côte d’Ivoire.-
There are careers that command respect not through brilliance alone, but through their consistency and integrity. Dr. Ali Ajami’s is one of them.
Born in Lebanon, he first pursued a rigorous academic path: earning a PhD in Arabic Language and Literature from the Lebanese University, complemented by advanced programs at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, MIT, and the University of Naples. From his earliest years, one belief guided him: understanding the world is an essential prerequisite to serving it.
In 1992, he joined the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What followed was a diplomatic career that took him to Cairo, Brasília, Oman, and later Detroit, where he was elevated to the rank of Dean of the Consular Corps.
Yet it was in Côte d’Ivoire, where he served for six years as Ambassador of Lebanon, that he left his most enduring mark. There, he structured bilateral economic cooperation, founded the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Côte d’Ivoire (CCILCI), and during the 2011 crisis, played a decisive role in preserving Ivorian-Lebanese friendship. In recognition of his service, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire awarded him the National Medal with the rank of Commander.
He was subsequently appointed Ambassador to Sweden, where he chaired the Council of Arab Ambassadors and founded the Lebanese-Swedish Chamber of Commerce — remaining faithful to the conviction that has defined his entire career: wherever he goes, he builds.
Beyond diplomacy, Dr. Ajami is a respected intellectual and writer — a novelist, poet, lexicographer, and member of the Lebanese Writers’ Union. His literary work and diplomatic action have never contradicted one another; they speak the same language: that of dialogue between peoples.
Now based in the United States, he continues to teach, mentor, and share his knowledge, remaining true to the commitment that has defined his life.
-The Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Côte d’Ivoire proudly honors the legacy of Dr. Ali Ajami, one of its founders and one of the most steadfast architects of Lebanese-Ivorian friendship.-