Al Trade has honored one of the figures of the Albanian music scene, singer Ilir Shaqiri, with the “Golden Award 2025,” as he recently celebrated his 65th birthday.

The owner of Al Trade, Sokol Gashani, said that Ilir Shaqiri has made the entire Albanian people proud.

We are very honored to have a day to honor a person who honors the entire people across all Albanian lands. We thank our staff, who have tirelessly contributed to our company… and I thank Ilir for making us and the entire Albanian people proud, especially us who share the same homeland and feel it even more,” he said.

Emotional and with tears in his eyes, singer Ilir Shaqiri said that the Gashani family has contributed to Kosovo in the past by giving two martyrs and today continues to contribute to its development.

“I feel very happy to be in this house today, with these good people, and with the wonderful work that the Al Trade family, with Sokol and all of you, is doing. This family, when the homeland needed them, gave two men, two martyrs, to Kosovo’s heroes, and today they continue to contribute to Kosovo through their work, with excellent activity in construction, and all this beauty with the people of Kosovo, with young men and women working to make Kosovo more beautiful,” he said.

Last Saturday, singer Ilir Shaqiri turned 65 and retired. Shaqiri is known for his songs that were the voice of the people of Kosovo, especially during the Serbian occupation.

Al Trade awards the “Golden Award” every year, and this is the 26th year it has honored important figures with this award.