His family hailed from the Lebanese diaspora in the French colonies of West Africa,[1] with some members, including his father, residing in Senegal.

In accordance with the traditional role played at that time by the Lebanese diaspora in the country's economy, the young sheikh reinvested the money he received from his family abroad, including his great-uncle Abboud from Senegal, in various local businesses.

The company had been founded in 1924 by prominent figures in Bsharri, such as the Keirouz and Geagea families, with the Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli, Anthony Peter Arida, also playing an important role.

Naccache called for the establishment of a large network of hydroelectric power plants across the country that would be financed and managed entirely by Lebanese capital and executives.

During the 1958 Lebanon crisis, he belonged to the group of traders that sounded the alarm about the paralysis of commercial activity in the country, and publicly encouraged the unloading of boats in the Port of Beirut to avoid food shortages.

To help Lebanese farmers and combat rural exodus, he was actively involved with the Banque de Crédit Agricole, Industriel et Foncier (BCAIF), founded in 1954, becoming chairman in 1958.

In an effort to strengthen the energy sector, he demanded in 1956 a government loan of £L5 million to La Kadisha in order to avoid an increase in electricity tariffs.

He then founded several import–export companies with his partners to encourage trade and transit operations, which inevitably led him to become more closely involved in the maritime transport sector.

[11] He became one of the main figures of the Lebanese banking sector, alongside people like Pierre Edde, Hussein Al Oweini and Philippe Takla.

In May 1960, Khoury secured a US$5 million loan for the BCAIF, largely through his personal negotiations with Hart Perry, director of the American Bank Institution known as the Credit Fund.

Also through the BCAIF, he led similar negotiations on behalf of the Lebanese government to obtain a US wheat loan in 1964, efforts which resulted in the agreement of a $17 million deal in July 1966.

In his capacity as chairman of the BCAIF's board of directors, Khoury also worked closely with the Lebanese government in efforts to alleviate problems in the banking sector.

Khoury's role in the Lebanese business world gave him a decisive voice in the dialogue that emerged between trade unionists and managers in the second half of the 1960s.

He established himself at an early age as an influential figure in his home village of Karm Sadde, and received as a consequence the honorary title of "Sheikh".

Khoury built strong ties with Lebanon's most prominent post-independence political figures, including Camille Chamoun, Fouad Chehab, Rashid Karami, Charles Helou, Suleiman Frangieh and Elias Sarkis.

The social unrest that shook the country in the early 1970s was driven in part by the activities of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (Confédération Générale des Travailleurs Libanais, CGTL).

The CGTL protested against the deterioration of living conditions, and in June 1974 presented the government with a list of demands, which included the amendment of Article 50 of the Labor Code, authorizing arbitrary dismissal.

[14] In response, the president of the Association of Industrialists resigned on 11 July 1974 to signify his total rejection of trade union demands, and refused any negotiation, a move that prolonged the crisis considerably.

Khoury's position during this conflict was in line with that of the rest of the Lebanese business world, traditionally committed to private initiative and individual and contractual freedom, which were endorsed by the constitution.

He was always committed to help in times of humanitarian crisis or natural hazards and used his influence for fundraising purposes: during the floods of North Lebanon on 22 December 1955, he participated in the committee of dignitaries organizing the relief efforts in Tripoli.

Similarly, he was one of the first to donate money during the earthquake of 16 March 1956, which affected the Chouf and South Lebanon regions, and formed a committee to organize fundraising among industrialists.

Khoury has since become established in Lebanese collective memory as the quintessential self-made man, due to his rural origins and his impressive social ascent during his work in Tripoli, Lebanon and Beirut.