Lebanon’s energy minister has signed a ministerial decision extending by six months the deadline for companies to participate in the country’s second offshore oil and gas licensing round.
The initial deadline was scheduled for Wednesday but was pushed back to December 15 “to allow additional companies not currently operating in Lebanese waters to prepare their files and studies and participate in this round,” Walid Fayad's office said in a statement on Wednesday.
The delay will “allow for the creation of an acceptable level of competition among international oil and gas companies”.
The statement was published shortly before the official 4pm deadline and did not indicate how many, if any, companies had participated in the bid.
A source with close knowledge of the bidding process, however, told Reuters the extension was granted because Lebanon had received no applications.
“It was expected, and we weren't shocked given the political situation and the maritime issues,” the source said.
Analysts previously told The National they expected the licensing round to be delayed because of uncertainty caused by Lebanon’s economic collapse, a problem that has been compounded by tensions between Israel and Lebanon.
The two countries, technically at war since 1948, are locked in a maritime border dispute that flared up in recent weeks following the arrival of a vessel operated by London-based Energean to exploit a gasfield known as Karish.
Israel says Karish is in its exclusive economic zone, but Lebanon says the field is in contested waters and should not be developed until the two countries conclude talks to delineate their maritime boundary.
US energy envoy Amos Hochstein, who arrived in Beirut on Monday for a two-day visit to mediate the dispute, said on Tuesday that Lebanese officials had made a proposal that would “enable negotiations to go forward.” Mr Hochstein did not give any details.
Unnamed Lebanese officials told AFP they would drop claims to Karish as long as Lebanon kept the whole of the nearby Qana field instead.
Lebanon had initially demanded 860 square kilometres of territory in the disputed maritime area, including part of Qana. It then asked for an additional 1,430 square kilometres, also taking in part of Karish.
A consortium led by French energy company Total won the first licensing round in 2018 but found no commercially viable amount of hydrocarbons.
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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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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.
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