Communication guru
Ramsay Najjar passes away

Key figure behind the post-war

rebirth of the advertising sector

Ramsay Najjar has passed away following his infection by the Covid-19 virus. He was 68 years old.

Following the end of the civil war, Najjar was one of the architects of the revival of the advertising and communication sectors in Lebanon. He played a leading role in many landmark advertising campaigns in Lebanon, and national messages in several Arab countries. He advised many governments (Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and others), as well as large and major multinational corporations.

Najjar was a true friend and supporter of Lebanon Opportunities. He frequently participated as a speaker and moderator in its conferences. His latest communication to the magazine, a few weeks ago, was on fake news. He said: “Nowadays the real in our country is the fake.”

In 1992, he established Saatchi & Saatchi Lebanon in partnership with Eli Khoury, and the global advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2002, he founded Strategic Communication Consultancy (S2C) which provides services to multinational and regional corporations as well as governments and public entities in the Middle East.

Najjar had headed the Lebanon Chapter of the International Advertising Association. He also developed an ethical chart which was incorporated into the by-laws of the Syndicate of Lebanese Advertising Agencies.

He was one of the founders of the University of Balmand’s Faculty of Advertising at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), and sits on the board of trustees of Azm University,

Najjar was an active writer. He authored a number of books in various fields including media, communication, philosophy, politics, and religion including the acclaimed ‘The right not to remain silent’.

Najjar was the producer of the educational quiz TV show ‘Al Moumayazoun’ which gained extraordinary popular fame locally and in the Arab world.

He earned a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and Education from the American University of Beirut (AUB).