France honours Egyptian MP Gihane Zaki with prestigious Legion of Honour award - Society

Al-Ahram Weekly

a day ago

​France awarded its highest national distinction, the Légion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour), to Dr. Gihane Zaki, Member of the Egyptian Parliament and Cultural Diplomat, on Sunday in recognition of her exceptional contributions to cultural diplomacy, academic thought leadership, and the advancement of intercultural understanding.
France has awarded Egypt's Dr. Zaki the Legion of Honour, the country's highest national distinction, in recognition of her exceptional contributions to cultural diplomacy, heritage preservation, and international cooperation.
Granted by presidential decree, the decoration is conferred exclusively through nomination—never by personal application—and honours individuals, French or foreign, who have demonstrated outstanding merit in either civilian or military life.
The decree, issued by French President Emmanuel Macron and published in the Journal Officiel, elevated Dr. Zaki to the rank of Chevalier (Knight), citing her unwavering commitment to the universal values of peace, liberty, and human dignity.
The honour is traditionally presented at the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris, a symbolic venue that reflects France's historic ties with international partners across the globe.
Dr. Zaki has earned international recognition for her work at the intersection of archaeology, cultural heritage, and diplomacy. In her capacity as a parliamentarian, she has played a prominent role in shaping policy dialogue around cultural preservation and cross-border collaboration.
Before assuming her current position, Dr. Zaki served as Director of the Egyptian Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where she championed artistic exchange between Egyptian and European creative communities.
Her academic portfolio includes teaching roles at leading universities, where she delivered lectures on art history, intercultural studies, and heritage diplomacy. A prolific writer, Dr. Zaki has authored numerous publications exploring Egypt's cultural legacy and the transformative role of the arts in community development. Her work blends rigorous archaeological scholarship with contemporary perspectives on identity and global citizenship.
She has also collaborated with international institutions such as UNESCO and ICCROM, while holding academic affiliations with both the Sorbonne University and Senghor University.
As a cultural diplomacy expert, Dr. Zaki has represented Egypt at high-level global forums, fostering enduring relationships with European institutions, research centres, and cultural organisations worldwide.
With this honour, she joins a distinguished group of Arab and Egyptian recipients of the Legion of Honour, including Mahmoud Fakhry Pasha, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Hazem El-Beblawi, and Mona Zulficar. Recent honourees have also included senior officials from the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the continued depth of France's engagement with the Arab world.
Beyond celebrating Dr. Zaki's personal achievements, the award stands as a testament to Egypt's enduring role as a cultural bridge between civilisations—a mission she has long championed throughout her career.
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