The city of Vlora has officially honored Mira Murati — the world-renowned Albanian engineer and entrepreneur — with the title of “Honorary Citizen.”

In a special ceremony held at the “Petro Marko” Theatre, the Municipality of Vlora recognized Murati for her extraordinary contributions to technology, artificial intelligence, and global innovation.

Murati, who previously led the prestigious company OpenAI and now heads her own venture Thinking Machines Lab, was celebrated for her leadership, creativity, and for promoting Albanian values on the world stage.

Due to professional commitments abroad, Murati could not attend the ceremony in person. Her mother accepted the honor on her behalf, expressing gratitude on behalf of the family:

“Thank you, Vlora — the city where Mira was born and raised. Even though she lives abroad, she follows Albania and her hometown with great love and pride. We are deeply grateful for this recognition.” – she said.

Alongside Murati, the distinguished tenor Josif Gjipali was also named an Honorary Citizen for his invaluable contribution to Albanian art and culture.

The ceremony gathered local officials, artists, and citizens of Vlora, who warmly applauded the two honorees for elevating the name of their city both nationally and internationally.