Ziad Makary is the founder and CEO of ARCA – Architecture & Design, a pioneer in architecture and design, which has implemented several projects in Lebanon, Qatar, Morocco, Syria, Iraq, Nigeria and Mozambique. He also has many research papers aimed at preserving historical and archaeological sites, including a study he conducted by UNESCO on the urban organization of the city of Tripoli and El Mina (1995), and a comprehensive study for the preservation of the archaeological valley of Qadisha. He is now working as a consultant for several initiatives related to the reconstruction of demolished and damaged buildings from the Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020. He has a special passion for Lebanese architecture as he is always working on renovating and rehabilitating old Lebanese homes. He holds a postgraduate degree in architecture from the University of Balamand – the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), and from the Paris-Belleville University of Architecture (ENSAPB) – specializing in Islamic and Mediterranean architecture. He is an architect specializing in Lebanese architecture and cultural heritage preservation and restoration, and currently a full-time professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture at the Lebanese University. He is active in many local and national youth initiatives.