Hoteliers and retailers across Beirut are predicting a dire Eid Al Adha weekend after a slew of cancellations in the aftermath of the bomb blast that killed the country's top spy chief.
Tourists and business travellers have been shunning travel to Lebanon all week, leaving hoteliers with occupancy as low as 25 per cent on what is usually one of the busiest weekends of the year.
"The Eid period is practically shot," said Haitham Mattar, the vice president of sales and marketing for Hilton Worldwide, which operates two hotels in Beirut.
"This has impacted us on one of the most important weekends. If this continues we will see an impact for the following months."
Lebanese troops battled unrest on the streets of Beirut and other cities in the wake of the bomb that ripped through the Achrafieh district of the capital last Friday, assassinating Brig Gen Wissam Al Hassan, the intelligence chief.
"The blast effectively killed tourist activity this Eid Al Adha," said Ziad Annan, the director of A&S Chronora, jewellers in Downtown Beirut and the official sellers of Rolex in Lebanon.
"Important Arab clients coming in from the Gulf have cancelled. We have been affected, no doubt."
The bomb blast and subsequent unrest are a huge blow to the tourism and retail sectors, which make up a large component of the Lebanese economy.
Lebanon's GDP is made up more than 75 per cent by service-based sectors, according to the CIA World Factbook. "Of course we have had a big number of cancellations," said Roy Gharios, the director of sales at the Ramada Beirut Downtown. "For the first six months of the year, it was great but since things have gone bad in Syria, business has gone down."
Lebanon was plagued by sporadic unrest between 2005 and 2008, in the midst of a number of assassinations that began with the killing of Rafiq Hariri, a previous prime minister praised for reconstructing the country following the civil war.
Now, Lebanese fears of the economic impact of the conflict in neighbouring Syria have become a reality.
Tourists numbers fell 11 per cent in June to 157,000, compared to the same month a year earlier, according to official figures from the ministry of tourism.
The direct contribution of the travel and tourism sector was 6.22 trillion Lebanese pounds (Dh15.21 billion) last year, or 9.8 per cent of total GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
But the total contribution, through services and businesses that are complementary or dependent on the tourism industry, was 2.24tn Lebanese pounds, or 35.2 of GDP last year.
"We are definitely in an economic crisis," said Halim Hanna, a Lebanon distributor of a high-end retail brand. "We are certainly impacted by the unrest in Syria as it effectively is our only terrestrial border. For one, the flow of goods and people are affected."
Many hotels throughout Beirut have already had a slow summer after the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with other Gulf countries, advised citizens not to travel to Lebanon after clashes in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli in May.
Hoteliers say they have seen little-to-no tourists from the Gulf countries in recent months as the travel warnings are still in place.
"As you're aware, Gulf tourists are not coming to Beirut," said Elie Khoury, the food and beverage manager of the Radisson Blu Martinez. "It's been a bad year. This period has been going on for a long time. We have been facing this for five months and it's continuing."
Mr Khoury said bookings had fallen 10 per cent immediately after the bomb blast last week and that he now expected occupancy at the hotel to be as low as 25 per cent over the holiday weekend.
"In the previous years, we have faced situations like this for a period of one month then things came back," said Mr Khoury. "But since May we have been suffering."
rjones@thenational.ae
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Mobile phone packages comparison
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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
