Macron awards Egyptian parliamentarian France's highest honor

Macron awards Egyptian France's highest award

 Macron awards Egyptian parliamentarian France's highest honor

The order was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional achievements in the fields of culture, science, politics, and humanitarian work.

French President Emmanuel Macron issued a decree awarding Dr. Gihane Zaki, a member of the Egyptian House of Representatives, the Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur), the highest civilian honor in the French Republic. The decree recognizes her distinguished contributions to culture and diplomacy and to promoting the values of peace and understanding among peoples.

The decree was published Monday morning in the French Official Gazette, including Dr. Gihane Zaki's name among a list of international figures who have dedicated their lives to serving humanity and promoting noble values such as knowledge, tolerance, and equality, transcending geographical boundaries and ethnic and religious affiliations.

Representing Egyptian and Arab Culture

This honor came upon the recommendation of the French Ministry of European Affairs and International Cooperation, in recognition of Dr. Gihane Zaki's pioneering role in cultural diplomacy and her ongoing contributions to building bridges of dialogue between civilizations. She is also one of the most prominent free intellectual voices who has represented Egyptian, Arab, and African culture in international forums and championed Egypt's cultural image as a soft power in the face of contemporary challenges.

An official award ceremony will be held this fall at the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur overlooking the River Seine in Paris, France, and will be attended by a select group of prominent international and cultural figures.

Who is Dr. Gihane Zaki?

Dr. Gihane Zaki is a member of the Egyptian House of Representatives and represents the voice of culture and soft diplomacy within the parliament.

She is also a professor of ancient Egyptian civilization, director of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a researcher at the Sorbonne University's Scientific Research Center. She previously served as Egypt's cultural advisor to Italy and as the former director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts in Rome, where she led the academy toward new horizons of cultural cooperation with Europe.

She is considered one of the most important intellectual and cultural diplomatic figures in Egypt and the Arab world. She has received several international awards from France and Italy, most notably the French Order of Chevalier in 2009, which was awarded to her by former President Nicolas Sarkozy in recognition of her efforts to strengthen cultural relations between the two shores of the Mediterranean.

France's Highest Order

The Legion of Honor (Légion d'honneur) is France's highest order, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional achievements in the fields of culture, science, politics, and humanitarian giving, whether French or of other nationalities.