Meet Zeina El Abed, ICAA Cultural Board Member

Sometimes, our circumstances present us with unique opportunities to explore and uncover hidden gems. That’s exactly what I experienced when I recently relocated to London. The ICAA chapter here is a vibrant mosaic of diverse expertise and talents across various disciplines, weaving together a rich cultural fabric.
 
It’s truly heartwarming to witness how active our alumni community is and how tempting it is to launch the ICAA Cultural Club project from here! How could we not, when London itself is a hub of cultural events and happenings all year round?
 
The ICAA Cultural Club project aims to connect artists, designers, musicians, and cultural enthusiasts of all kinds, bringing them together under the ICAA umbrella. My vision and dream are to bring together our dispersed alumni artists from around the world, offering them a dynamic and adaptable platform to showcase their talents, share their expertise, and broaden their cultural horizons. The club also strives to provide access to cultural events worldwide, particularly those involving our esteemed alumni. This initiative will create opportunities for them to connect with and inspire younger generations by contributing to the legacy program, leading workshops, participating in annual theme-based conferences, and engaging in various events held in Lebanon and at IC.

An ambitious project you say...? Especially with a three years’ time frame! I say nothing beats the IC spirit especially when we reach out to each other and connect!

I had the honor of meeting many of our alumni at the ICAA Valentine’s Dinner, which I co-organized alongside the incredible Paula Haddad, our ICAA UK Ambassador (Class of 1996).

 The event was hosted at Meat the Fish, a restaurant owned by Karim Arakji (Class of 1990). When I asked Karim why he chose London for Meat the Fish, he shared:
"Why did we open in London? Because most of our supply chain for all our enterprises is based here—London has always been our hub, giving us a long-standing network of suppliers and connections. It’s also a challenging market, and we wanted to prove that we could succeed in such a competitive environment. Opening” Meat the Fish” in London was always a goal for us."
 
The evening brought together attendees from various IC generations to mingle, play games, share delicious food, and, of course, enjoy plenty of laughter. It beautifully embodied the IC spirit—fostering a sense of unity and community where stories were shared, aspirations were nurtured, and the bonds of our supportive network grew even stronger.
 
Siham Itani (Class of 1993) was among the attendees. Siham, a pharmacist with a doctorate in pharmacy, also specialized in aesthetic medicine. Siham’s generosity added a special touch to our Valentine’s event, as she kindly provided heart-shaped candles and soaps as giveaways.
 
We hope this initiative will spark even more connections, collaborations, and creative interactions in the future both in London and Beirut as well!

Zeina El Abed' 1992
ICAA Board, Cultural Club