افتتح وزير المهجرين ووزير الدولة لشؤون التكنولوجيا والذكاء الاصطناعي، الدكتور كمال شحادة، معرض LebTech2025 في فندق لو رويال – ضبية، ممثلاً فخامة رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون.
وفي كلمة ألقاها، عبّر شحادة عن تفاؤله بمستقبل لبنان الرقمي، مشيداً بالشركات اللبنانية المشاركة في المعرض وفي لبنان وبالطاقات الشبابية المتوفرة في البلاد، ومؤكداً أن “الوزارة تعمل على خلق بيئة محفّزة للطلاب والعاملين في قطاع التكنولوجيا، وللشركات الناشئة، بهدف بناء مستقبل رقمي أفضل يليق بطموحات اللبنانيين”.
بعد الافتتاح، جال الوزير شحادة على أجنحة المعرض، حيث اطلع على أبرز الابتكارات والتقنيات المعروضة، وتبادل الحديث مع ممثلي الشركات وروّاد الأعمال المشاركين.
وبعدها شارك شحادة في أولى تلجلسات الحوارية المتعلقة بالمعرض الى جانب النواب الياس حنكش، رازي الحاج ونقولا صحناوي.
في ما يلي نص الكلمة كاملا
أحملُ إليكم اليوم، باسم فخامة رئيس الجمهورية اللبنانية العماد جوزاف عون، تحيّته الحارّة وتقديره الكبير لهذا الحدث الوطني والدولي بامتياز – مؤتمر LebTech 2025 – الذي يُشكّل منصّة حيوية للبنان والعالم العربي، من أجل تبادل الخبرات والآفاق حول التكنولوجيا والذكاء الاصطناعي، وتأثيرها العميق على حياة الناس ومستقبل المجتمعات.
نؤمن أن لبنان، رغم أزماته، لا يزال يملك رأسمالاً بشريًا لا يُقدّر بثمن، وطاقاتٍ شابةً مبدعة أثبتت نفسها في أرقى المحافل الدولية. هذه الطاقات، وهذا الذكاء اللبناني، كانا أساس موقعنا الريادي في الابتكار، وسيكونا محور تحوّلنا من بلد متلقٍّ للتكنولوجيا إلى بلدٍ منتجٍ لها، ومشارك فاعل في صياغة مستقبلها.
LebTech 2025 ليس فقط مؤتمرًا عن التقنيات، بل أيضًا منصّة للعدالة الرقمية. ونحن فخورون أن ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة لهم اليوم حيّزٌ كبيرٌ في هذا المؤتمر، لأن التكنولوجيا العصرية ليست من أجل الأقوياء فقط، بل من أجل تمكين الجميع، وضمان الوصول والمشاركة المتكافئة لكل فرد.
إن وزارة الدولة لشؤون التكنولوجيا والذكاء الاصطناعي، التي نعمل على تطوير بنيتها ومهامها، ليست مجرّد إدارة حكومية، بل هي حجر الزاوية في مشروع “الجمهورية الرقمية اللبنانية” الذي يلتزم فخامة الرئيس بإطلاقه خلال هذا العهد، كخطوة تأسيسية نحو دولة أكثر عدالة وكفاءة.
وفي قلب هذه الرؤية، تبرز مهمّة حيوية: وقف نزيف الكفاءات، وتحويل هجرة العقول إلى عودة منتجة – من الـ Brain Drain إلى الـ Brain Gain. فلبنان لا يستطيع أن يبني مستقبله إلّا بأبنائه، ولا ينهض إلّا بعقول شبابه.
نحن اليوم لا نحتفل فقط بتقدّمٍ تقني، بل نؤسّس لرؤية وطنية، يكون فيها المواطن محور التكنولوجيا، والكرامة الإنسانية هي الهدف.
Every so often, a gathering like this becomes more than a conference, but a moment, a moment to connect ideas with action. To show that Lebanon’s digital future is not just being imagined , but being built. And most importantly, a moment to begin delivering the kind of Lebanon our people — here and everywhere — have always deserved: smarter, fairer, more open, and fuller of possibility.
Lebanon’s greatest strength remains its people, you. Our youth : creative, resourceful, resilient : have already left their mark on global tech, and now they are returning to help us shape the future. Their talent and energy are our strongest foundation.
LebTech itself is proof of this spirit. This forum has evolved into the nation’s foremost tech summit. Over the past five years, it has brought together founders, engineers, students, policymakers, and CEOs. I commend the organizers for their commitment and perseverance, and urge them to continue: be bold, be ambitious, and remain a catalyst for the next five years and beyond.
This year’s LebTech panels show us what real transformation looks like. From fintech to healthtech, education to climate innovation, and AI in public services to cybersecurity, the topics are forward-looking and inclusive. The inclusion of sessions on accessibility tech and gender equity signals something important: Lebanon’s digital future must be designed by everyone , and for everyone.
None of this can be achieved alone. Our digital ambitions require an entire ecosystem , one that includes educators and engineers, investors and institutions, private entrepreneurs and public servants. That’s why gatherings like this are so important. LebTech reminds us that progress doesn’t begin in silos, but in community. Collaboration, I believe, is Lebanon’s greatest competitive edge.
I also want to extend our gratitude to all the sponsors, exhibitors, and strategic partners who have made this conference possible. Your presence here is more than symbolic: it signals your commitment to Lebanon’s digital transformation. To the global technology leaders in the room: we invite you to go further. Partner with us in the next wave of digital skilling — especially in AI — so we can prepare a workforce not just ready for the future, but ready to lead it.
Let us also affirm that technology must be an equalizer. We are proud that people with disabilities are represented prominently at this event. Digital justice means access for all, regardless of ability, background, or circumstance. Technology must restore dignity, not deepen division.
The world is watching Lebanon ; not with doubt, but with renewed interest. Just this week, His Excellency the President received a call from Elon Musk. That conversation is a signal, a global endorsement of Lebanon’s leadership, talent, and untapped potential. It reminds us that while our doors are open to innovation and investment, we must also be ready. Ready with the right foundations, the right systems, and the right mindset to translate interest into impact.
As we welcome the global technology and investment community, we must also expand our national imagination. We must start talking about universal access to digital services. About sustainable cities powered by clean tech and smart infrastructure. About research and development centers that link our universities to global breakthroughs. And about a Lebanon that doesn’t just adopt innovation but exports it.
And as we look toward Lebanon’s digital future, we must remember this: real transformation starts with people. The path to a Lebanese Digital Republic rests on three interdependent foundations ; each reinforcing the other.
We need to earn everyone’s trust by establishing strong legal and ethical frameworks — through data rights, responsible AI, and cybersecurity. This trust in foundational to a flourishing innnovation.
At the same time, we must reimagine how government serves its people, but with digital services that are transparent, efficient, and centered around the needs of citizens. When systems are designed with dignity and access in mind, public confidence follows.
Just as crucially, we must invest in our people; in their talent, their creativity, their right to lead. Whether here or in the diaspora, our people are the driving force of our digital future.
Trust makes digital services possible. Services rebuild confidence in government. And together, they create the environment that allows talent to grow, stay, and lead.
This is not a linear journey. It is a shared, living system; one we must all build, protect, and champion together.
Before I close, I want to take a moment to recognize a group of people in this room who represent the spirit of what we’re building. They are young, talented, and working entirely pro bono because they believe in Lebanon’s future as deeply as we do.
To all of you here today , founders, partners, investors, and leaders , I invite you: reach out to them. Start a conversation. Share an idea. Build something today.
To the team : please stand. Let us see you, thank you, and most importantly , join you.
This is what makes our vision possible: a generation willing to give, build, and lead ; now. Let’s meet them where they are, work together, and bring our shared vision closer to reality, one collaboration at a time.
Today, we are not just celebrating technology. We are committing to a future where that technology serves people — where it upholds dignity, expands possibility, and brings Lebanon into a new era of human-centered innovation.