Nabil Bukhalid, an accomplished tech leader who made countless contributions to the development of the internet in Lebanon, passed away on January 4th at the age of 65 from a heart attack.
He was known for his work at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where he was responsible for bringing the internet to the country, and served as director of Computing and Networking Services from 2000 until 2011.
During this time, Nabil Bukhalid led the AUB computing and networking team and was responsible for building the university’s Computer Networking System Department with two other engineers. He then went on to become chief enterprise architect before leaving AUB in 2012.
Outside of AUB, Bukhalid played a key role in numerous organizations and initiatives that helped to advance the tech sector in Lebanon.
He was the founder of the Lebanese Domain Registry (LBDR) and served as its administrator and registrar since its creation in 1993. He was also the founder of the Lebanese Academic and Research Network (LARN) and co-founder of the Lebanese Broadband Manifesto Support Group (LBSG) and BeirutIX, the first Internet Exchange Point in Lebanon.
These organizations and initiatives have had a significant impact on the growth and development of the internet in Lebanon, and Bukhalid’s contributions have been invaluable.
961 CEO, Anthony Kantara, noted that shortly before his death, they were in communication to discuss how to further accelerate and progress his work in Lebanon.
In addition to these accomplishments, Nabil Bukhalid was also involved in various internet governance, strategic planning, capacity-building, and research efforts in the EMEA region.
He was a co-founder and ex-president of the Internet Society Lebanon Chapter and co-founder and CEO of the Lebanese Internet Center. He also served on the advisory board of the Lebanese Canadian Tech Hub and was a mentor at Confideo Venture Mentoring.
Through these roles, Nabil Bukhalid contributed to the advancement of the tech industry in Lebanon and the EMEA region, and his expertise and insights were highly respected.
Throughout his career, Nabil Bukhalid was recognized for his contributions to the tech industry.
In 2017, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame, where key contributors to the global internet are honored. His work had a lasting impact on Lebanon, AUB, and the internet as a whole, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Nabil Bukhalid’s passion for technology and its potential to drive positive change was contagious, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire and influence those who follow in his footsteps.
