"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible"
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) Author of Gulliver's Travel
Tribute to the late Khalil Talhouni
Zara Investment Holding Co. Ltd. was based on such a vision… one man's vision of transforming his country into a first class world destination. May 1999 witnessed the premature death of Mr Khalil Talhouni, the founder of Zara. Although his short life ended, he enriched his country with monuments that will last a lifetime.
Mr. Talhouni envisioned a Jordan with five star hotels and leisure complexes that rival any developments in the Arab world. Through his vision and drive, he was able to create a series of stepping-stones across the country; luxury hotels in various tourist destinations that would not only provide the best service, but also would become attractions in and of themselves.
World-renowned architects designed the hotels and buildings, but Mr. Talhouni's passion for architecture meant he himself was always heavily involved every step along the way.
Mr. Talhouni had a clear vision of what he wanted and he applied a comprehensive approach in order to translate what he planned for into reality. This approach led Zara into becoming self-sufficient, self-contained and independent.
He was attentive to the finest details from the blue prints, to the projects construction management, to Zara's art collection, to the hotels' landscaping, to tourist transportation, to investing in the hospitality skills of his staff, all handled under Zara's umbrella.
Today Zara's projects stand tall as a great tribute to a great man whose vision has been realized. Each detail and every corner are a constant reminder that he is still among us.
Mr Khalil Talhouni's best friend and long time business partner Mr. Sabih Al Masri shared those same dreams and vision and together they co-founded Zara. Today Mr. Masri is the Chairman of Board of Directors of Zara, Mr. Masri is deeply committed to the path they started and on taking their shared dreams to new heights.
John Elliot
of Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo Architects
"He should have been an architect. He possessed the instinctive ability to understand the three dimensional and long-term implications of arranging a plan in a particular way. His small sketches on pieces of paper done in hotel rooms or on planes were amazing for their accuracy and perception. The intellectual ability to switch form the micro to the macro and pursue specialist subjects into the finest details earned him the respect and admiration of the entire consultant team."
Simeon Halstead
Arcadia Design Architects
"He had the vision when all we had were bits of paper, he believed in our abilities when we had nothing built to show him. Someone once wrote that architecture was "frozen music" to which Khalil was the finest conductor. I hope that our projects will be a great tribute to this great man for all the faith he kept with us; to his great support to all our dreams. I shall always remember and his legacy in our industry stands proud now for all to see.