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Lebanon fears that Israel is planning to occupy five strategically chosen hilltop areas in the south beyond February 18, the deadline for Israel’s full withdrawal from the country, sources in Beirut told The National.
Concerns escalated after Israeli troops installed heavy surveillance equipment in the areas, according to the sources, who also noted that Lebanese officials have not been formally notified of any such plans. The sources added that officials in Beirut are seeking clarifications from US mediators and other parties involved in implementing the ceasefire agreement that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
“Fear is growing that Israel seeks to remain for a long time in five points inside Lebanese territory adjacent to the border with Israel,” a Lebanese political source said. “It is believed that the Israeli forces have transferred advanced military and surveillance equipment to these points and installed them there, which means that they do not intend to withdraw from them by the end of the deadline extended to February 18,” he added.
The areas include Jabal Blat, a mountainous region less than 1km from the border with Israel and about 10km from the coast, the nearby Labbouneh area, and the three adjacent hills of Al Azziyeh, Al Awidah, and El Hamames, further north-east and closer to the Syrian-occupied Golan region. “These points are located in high areas and directly overlook some settlements in northern Israel such as Metula and Shlomi and Zarit,” explained the source.
A security source in Beirut confirmed that defence and intelligence officials are aware of “attempts by Israel to build a case” and occupy “four or five locations” in the south of Lebanon beyond February 18, but did not name the areas. “These are strategic locations and the current assessment is that Israelis don’t want to leave them soon,” added the security source.
The 60-day truce, which ended the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, was originally expected to lead to a permanent ceasefire on January 26 and a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. However, the truce expired with Israeli troops still stationed in southern villages.
The Israeli army, which killed 24 Lebanese civilians attempting to return to their homes in the occupied territories, told mediators it needed more time to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure. But Lebanese sources claimed that Israel also aimed to test Hezbollah’s reaction while continuing to render the border villages “uninhabitable”.
“Lebanon had no choice but to accept. The only way to save face was to demand negotiations and the release of Hezbollah and other prisoners,” a senior Lebanese security source told The National last week.
Israel previously occupied south Lebanon between 1982 and 2000, when it left in a chaotic withdrawal following years of clashes with Hezbollah and other militant groups in the area. In November, before the ceasefire was reached, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said in a response to a question from The National that his army had "no intention or desire" to occupy Lebanon, and that "when this situation with Hezbollah is sorted" its forces would withdraw.
Israel said its cross-border ground invasion during the war was intended to destroy Hezbollah's capabilities, but some residents of northern Israel who have been forced from their homes have called for a buffer zone to limit the risk of further attacks by the Iran-backed group.
“Israel’s actions prove that it will remain at least until February 18,” a source close to Hezbollah said, without commenting on how the group would respond to any Israeli plans to stay in Lebanon beyond the withdrawal deadline.
Earlier this week, a Lebanese security official told The National that Hezbollah’s strategy for now is to “return to its 1980s approach: pushing people to fight for their lands through lone attacks while supporting them discreetly, avoiding direct claims or public acknowledgement of the attacks”.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
