On August 24, 2026, the University of Balamand (UOB) and Near East Personal Care Company SAL (NEPCO), a subsidiary of HOLDAL Abou Adal Group SAL (Holding), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch the Lebanon Road Safety Alliance (LRSA), “Every Life Counts – Inspired by Elio,” a national initiative dedicated to promoting safer roads and protecting lives across Lebanon.
The MOU was signed by UOB President Dr. Elias Warrak and Mr. Camille Wazen, General Manager of NEPCO. The partnership brings together expertise in awareness, communication, mobilization, and private-sector engagement with UOB’s technical expertise in data intelligence, GPS monitoring, analytics, technology, and evaluation.
During the signing, Dr. Elias Warrak highlighted the importance of data-driven approaches to road safety, emphasizing that “you cannot improve what you cannot measure.” He also presented an overview of road safety challenges and the main factors contributing to road accidents, underscoring the role of accurate and reliable data in understanding the causes of accidents and developing effective prevention strategies to reduce their risks.
Through the Alliance, the two partners will work together to develop road safety awareness initiatives, strengthen youth and stakeholder engagement, and establish technology-driven tools, including a Road Safety Tracker public dashboard, data analytics, blackspot mapping, and predictive models that can contribute to accident prevention. A joint Steering Committee will oversee the Alliance and coordinate its strategic direction and implementation.
The Road Safety Tracker will rely on ethical data-collection and data-use practices and anonymized data, ensuring that users’ identities are not disclosed and their privacy is protected, particularly with regard to GPS location tracking and data analytics.
In her statement, Mrs. Maissa Abou Adal Ghanem emphasized the importance of working to save lives in memory of Elio, the son of their colleague at the company, Mr. Bassam Rajha. She noted that the MOU is more than a formal agreement; it represents a step toward transforming pain into meaningful action that honors Elio’s memory and the memory of everyone who has lost their lives on the roads.
The initiative will also include awareness activities in secondary schools, universities, and festivals, as well as partnerships with non-governmental organizations, relevant stakeholders, private companies and institutions that will be invited to join the Alliance, in addition to the public sector.
Elio’s family also attended the signing ceremony, including his parents, Mr. Bassam and Mrs. Cendrella Rajha, and his siblings, Mr. Rudy and Mrs. Christelle Rajha.
Mrs. Cendrella Rajha expressed that young people in Lebanon are currently facing a state of severe exhaustion, balancing multiple jobs while trying at the same time to maintain an active social life. She expressed her hope that Elio’s story and this initiative will help protect other families from the pain her family experienced and help prevent the loss of other loved ones as a result of road accidents.
Representing HOLDAL Abou Adal Group SAL (Holding) were Mr. Camille Wazen, Mrs. Agnes Tamraz Abou Mansour, Mrs. Maissa Abou Adal Ghanem, Mr. Georges Abou Adal, as well as Mrs. Janin Khalifeh, Mrs. Tania Nader, Mrs. Yara Botros, and Mr. Imad El Kayeem. Representing the University of Balamand were UOB President Dr. Elias Warrak, Dr. Salim Kanaan, Dr. Fadi Comair, and Dr. Youssef Bassim.
Through this collaboration, UOB and HOLDAL Abou Adal Group SAL (Holding) reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing road safety in Lebanon and transforming Elio’s memory into a collective effort to protect lives and reduce the losses caused by road accidents, because every life counts.
