Marseille yesterday named a street after one of its greatest adopted sons.
Stretching 2 km from the CMA CGM Tower along the coast to the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, the Jacques Saadé Boulevard was unveiled at a cermony with many dignitaries from around the world yesterday.
Saadé, founder of French container line CMA CGM, passed away in June last year at the age of 81.
Saadé was born in Beirut in 1937 and moved to Marseilles and founded Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement (CMA) in 1978. He acquired Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM) when it was privatised in 1996, then merged CMA and CGM which led to the birth of the CMA CGM Group in 1999.
“You have honoured a man and a business by giving his name to this boulevard. Jacques Saadé showed that in France, from this city, we could build a world leader. He gave this country one of its finest industrial jewels. Rest assured that we will always remain committed to Marseille,”said Saadé’s son and successor, Rodolphe, yesterday.
Saadé left his mark on the Provence city with the opening eight years ago of new headquarters at CMA CGM Tower, which, at 147 m in height, is the city’s tallest building.
The first in a series of nine giant LNG-fuelled 22,000 teu box ships due for delivery next year will also be named after the CMA CGM founder.
From the #CMACGM tower to the @MUCEM Museum, the Jacques R. Saadé Boulevard, named today after the founder of the @CMACGM Group, stretches for two kilometers along the Mediterranean sea#Maritime #Shipping #Giant pic.twitter.com/hkdVXD3bxj
— CMA CGM Group (@cmacgm) June 27, 2019
