Haim Taib, Founder and President, Mitrelli and Menomadin Group, Receives
Haim Taib, Founder and President, Mitrelli and Menomadin Group, Receives Angolan Presidential Medal Francesca Ming

As Angola commemorates fifty years of independence, the nation is spotlighting partners who helped convert adversity into momentum. Among those honored is Haim Taib, Founder and President of the Menomadin and Mitrelli Group, who was awarded the Peace and Development Medal (Classe Paz e Desenvolvimento) by President João Lourenço. The distinction reflects more than three decades of collaboration that supported the country's economic renewal and social progress.

Taib first set foot in Angola in 1991, at a time when civil war still scarred daily life. Choosing engagement over retreat, he invested in Angola's long-term potential, guided by the conviction that peace is the foundation for development. Working alongside Angolan counterparts, he mobilized financial, technical, and human capital even in the hardest years, seeding opportunities that would later underpin broader national recovery.

A signature initiative of this period is Aldeia Nova, a network of self-sustaining agricultural communities created in the aftermath of the conflict. By bringing together people who had stood on opposite sides, the project served both as a reconciliation platform and as a catalyst for rural productivity—reviving livelihoods while demonstrating the power of shared enterprise. Aldeia Nova also previewed Taib's wider commitment to inclusive growth.

Through an ecosystem of companies—Mitrelli, Luminar, Menomadin, and JETA—Taib contributed to national programs in water, food security, energy, and housing, and later expanded into education, healthcare, and technology. Initiatives such as Water for All, along with new hospitals, entrepreneurship hubs, and vocational training centers, strengthened the country's social and economic infrastructure. Recent endeavors, including modern residential centralities and a Science Center, reflect his view that innovation and social impact must advance together.

In 2025, this partnership entered a fresh phase with the launch of the Lobito Corridor Impact Development (LCID) Platform, a USD 1 billion initiative co-founded with Angola's Sovereign Wealth Fund. LCID blends private investment with public purpose to unlock projects in infrastructure, trade, agriculture, and education across Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia—linking local opportunity to regional growth.

Across more than 100 initiatives, Taib's teams have helped create tens of thousands of jobs while extending access to electricity, water, and housing for millions. His philanthropic work, notably through the Fundação Arte e Cultura, continues to empower young Angolans through art, education, and cultural programs.

Accepting the honor, Taib said: "This recognition belongs as much to the people of Angola as it does to me. It is a tribute to our shared belief that when people can dream, they can create. They can change. They can build their future with their own hands."

For Taib and his Angolan partners, the medal is not merely a marker of what has been achieved; it affirms an ongoing promise—to keep transforming peace into progress and translating vision into everyday possibility.