Buzzing Beirut: why the capital city constantly surprises travellers


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As my plane starts its slow-motion descent into Beirut airport, the city below seems almost close enough to touch – a chaotic mix of modern high-rise buildings, ramshackle houses, tall minarets and statuesque church towers, fringed on one side by the azure waters of the Mediterranean and on the other by verdant mountain peaks. Suddenly, we are right above the Corniche, Beirut's iconic clifftop promenade, and my neighbour, one of Lebanon's vast global diaspora who lives in Venezuela, leans past me to grab an emotional glimpse of the country he has not seen for 10 years.

Exploring the cultural scene

This is the ultimate city of contradictions, but now Beirut is buzzing and back on the global map. It may be at the centre of a historic conflict zone and flooded with refugees, but frankly, during my whole trip here, I feel much safer than at my home in Paris, where Gilets Jaunes maraud down the Champs-Elysees every Saturday. The airport is almost in the city centre, and after a frenetic 10-minute, traffic-jammed drive, I immediately plunge into this pulsating metropolis of modern art museums, fashion boutiques and funky restaurants, cutting-edge designers and avant-garde galleries.

The first surprise is how dynamic the cultural scene is here. I begin with a tour of the grand 1900s villas and lush gardens of Sursock, an exclusive millionaire's ghetto that seems caught in a time warp when Beirut was feted as "the Paris of the East". The jewel in the crown is the sumptuous Sursock Museum, an extravagant mix of Ottoman and Venetian styles, with a ­wedding-cake exterior of swirling balustrades. Inside, though, renowned French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte has created a series of modern, airy salons to exhibit an impressive permanent collection of contemporary Lebanese art alongside provocative temporary shows.

Purchasing managers' index data for Lebanon for July shows the economy continued to shrink, but at its slowest rate in more than two years.
Purchasing managers' index data for Lebanon for July shows the economy continued to shrink, but at its slowest rate in more than two years.

A steep flight of steps, the Route Saint-Nicolas, leads down from Sursock to the bustling Rue Gouraud, heart of another arty quarter, Gemmayzeh. First stop is Plan Bey, an alternative art gallery that offers ­affordable prints, photos and graffiti ­stickers by Beiruti artists such as Mazen Kerbaj and Cherine Yazbeck, then it is time for a break of barista coffee and delicious sticky sweets at Ginette, a hip multi-­concept store that morphs from a cafe, design and fashion boutique, into an art gallery.

Embracing the arts 

Next, we brace the traffic jams for a hair-raising taxi ride to the bright red Aishti Foundation. This is the brainchild of Lebanese billionaire Tony Salame, whose decision to commission a futuristic private museum to showcase his priceless ­contemporary art collection has put Beirut firmly back on the global art map, alongside similar museums by Francois Pinault in Venice or Bernard Arnault's Parisian Louis Vuitton Foundation.

It will finally be a step towards replacing the mass amnesia and to come to terms with what has happened in the past.

Aishti covers four floors, currently exhibiting the likes of Julian Schnabel, Lucio Fontana and Cindy Sherman from Salame's estimated 2,000 artworks. It is a venue with a difference, though, as the businessman made his millions retailing luxury fashion brands, so visitors also find themselves in a quite surreal glass-and-metal shopping mall of Gucci, Armani and Fendi boutiques, right alongside the foundation's art exhibitions. I end the day in a relaxed style at the legendary Al Falamanki Cafe, a delightfully decadent rendezvous spot where customers recline on satin sofas, play backgammon and sip scalding mint tea while waiters expertly prepare shisha pipes.

Just next door is the magnificent pastel yellow neo-Ottoman mansion that houses Beit Beirut, a unique museum that everyone coming to the city must visit. The building was situated right on the infamous Green Line, which divided Muslim and Christian Beirut during the civil war, serving as a sniper bunker, and has been deliberately preserved in its crumbling half-destroyed state, complete with bullet and shell pockmarks. A tour of the building is an intensely moving experience and the project's architect, Youssef Haidar, tells me he hopes "it will finally be a step towards replacing the mass amnesia and to come to terms with what has happened in the past".

A taste of Beirut 

On my first evening, I have a dinner date at Liza, the ultra-fashionable restaurant owned by Liza Soughayar, who is pretty much the queen of Lebanese cuisine in Paris. In one of the private dining rooms, decorated with dramatic artworks of bombed Beirut buildings by a young Lebanese painter, we taste her signature dishes: the best hummus I have eaten, traditional kebbe nayyeh, lamb tartare and loukoz bel selek, sea bass with tahini. Liza explains how despite success in Paris, she could not resist being part of the renaissance in her hometown. "There is an incredible intensity to create and succeed here."

Like all Beirutis I meet, she has an incredible optimism and enthusiasm for her city, and is immediately making plans for my foodie tour. The next morning, we begin with an unbelievable feast prepared at Al Soussi, Beirut's top street food address. Only open for breakfast, this hole-in-the-wall eatery may be in a backstreet, but the forecourt is packed with Mercedes and Porsches. Two chefs cook each dish as you order, on a single gas burner with a tiny blackened frying pan. Order everything – lamb's brain, confit liver with fried egg, foul, chickpeas and tabbouleh.

Around midday, we head for Mar Mikhael, renowned as a hip nightlife quarter, where Tawlet, a unique project created by celebrity chef Kamal Mouzawak, is only open at lunchtime. Each week he brings in a roster of female cooks from across Lebanon, to prepare traditional regional recipes representing the country's multi-ethnic culture. Choose from a huge buffet of dishes such as tripe sausages, spicy raw beef and minced lamb croquettes.

Tawlet restaurant by celebrity chef Kamal Mouzawak. Getty
Tawlet restaurant by celebrity chef Kamal Mouzawak. Getty

After an early evening stroll along Mar Mikhael's Armenia Street, lined with hipster bars, cafes, clubs and bistros that could be in Barcelona or Berlin, we sit down for dinner in the elegant dining room of Villa Clara. This is a symbol of what the future of Beirut could be. French chef Olivier Gougeon and his Lebanese wife Marie-Helene have lovingly restored a grand 1920s villa into a romantic design hotel.

In the restaurant, Gougeon's dishes are unmistakably French, but he uses fresh, seasonal Lebanese products that are often organic. Baby squids are gently fried in ­gluten-free flour then served on a bed of pea puree, while local frogs' legs are classically cooked with garlic and parsley. And the steak tartare is pure theatre, with the chef chopping and dicing the tender beef right at the table.

Shop 'til you drop

I end my trip by spending a day checking out the reconstructed city centre, known simply as Downtown, the luxury side of ­Beirut so loved by influential guidebooks and international style magazines. Local fashionistas and wealthy tourists shop 'til they drop at Beirut Souks, which in reality is an exclusive mall filled with brands such as Saint Laurent, Jimmy Choo and Kenzo.

Rather than joining the chic crowds vying for a lunch table at the latest must-be-seen-at dining hotspot, Em Sherif Cafe, I head off to check out more original outlets such as Bokja, the atelier / workshop where talented designer Huda Baroudi creates quirky recycled furniture that is the talk of Milan's Salone del Mobile.

Then at Orient 499, I discover a magical Aladdin's cave of interior decor and exotic Oriental handicrafts; a maze of sumptuous salons, each one filled with treasures, ornate mirrors, traditional brass stools, bewitching gold and silver sculptures, sepia photos and vintage Arabic movie posters.

Discovering Downtown

Downtown is also the place to put into perspective Beirut’s unique 5,000-year history as one of the world’s oldest cities, a heritage that stretches from the Phoenicians and Romans to Arabs, Ottomans and the French, through to more recent troubled times, when buildings were reduced to rubble by decades of invasions and civil war. But there are few signs of that destruction when I begin a tour of the immense Blue Mosque, built as recently as 2008.

Surrounding the mosque are a host of far more ancient monuments that illustrate the special harmony of races and religions that Lebanon somehow manages to delicately balance. Right next door is the dignified Maronite Cathedral of Saint George, while behind a maze of ruined Roman baths is another church, again dedicated to Saint George, though this time for Greek Orthodox worshippers.

A 10-minute stroll eventually brings me out at the Corniche, where every evening at sunset all of Beirut's diverse elements somehow come together. Nike-clad teenagers jog by, listening to Arab rap on their iPhones, as families take the air and walk dogs and skateboarders zigzag in between.

Everyone buys crunchy fava beans, raw carrots and tangy lemon slices from ­friendly street vendors, and while ­glamorous locals hang out for a dip at the 1960s Sporting Club's beach, I enjoy a perfect end to the day at the Bay Rock Cafe. With its romantic view of the Corniche's famous Pigeon Rock, I settle down to watch the sun set, accompanied by a generous plate of mezze.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
match info

Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')

Liverpool 0

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

Brave CF 27 fight card

Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)

Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)

Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)

Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)

Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)

Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)

Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)

While you're here
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The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre

Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty. 

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of  Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million. 

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees. 

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'

Rating: 3/5

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law

ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Elvis
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Indian origin executives leading top technology firms

Sundar Pichai

Chief executive, Google and Alphabet

Satya Nadella

Chief executive, Microsoft

Ajaypal Singh Banga

President and chief executive, Mastercard

Shantanu Narayen

Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe

Indra Nooyi  

Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo

 

 

EXPATS
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Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications

T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat

UAE FIXTURES

Friday February 18: v Ireland

Saturday February 19: v Germany

Monday February 21: v Philippines

Tuesday February 22: semi-finals

Thursday February 24: final 

Aggro%20Dr1ft
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Soldier F

“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.

“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.

“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”

Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson

Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.

W.
Wael Kfoury
(Rotana)

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

----

Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

The biog

Age: 46

Number of Children: Four

Hobby: Reading history books

Loves: Sports

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOlive%20Gaea%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vivek%20Tripathi%2C%20Jessica%20Scopacasa%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELicensed%20by%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20World%20Trade%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Climate-Tech%2C%20Sustainability%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECornerstone%20Venture%20Partners%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Key developments

All times UTC 4

THE POPE'S ITINERARY

Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport


Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial


Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport

 

 

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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match info

Southampton 0

Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')

Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)

Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)