Lebanon is looking forward to a boost in tourism from Gulf countries as its new leadership works to rebuild ties after years of estrangement.
The UAE and Kuwait have lifted bans on their citizens travelling to Lebanon after recent visits by President Joseph Aoun, who has also travelled to Saudi Arabia and Qatar after taking office in January.
“Lebanon is moving in the right direction, getting back to the Arab fold – and that’s a Lebanese demand before anything else,” Fouad Dandan, Lebanon’s ambassador to the UAE, told The National.
Gulf tourists and investors − particularly from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE − were significant contributors to the economy for decades before relations soured over the increasing influence of Iran over the country through Hezbollah. However, the Lebanese armed group and political party has been considerably weakened after a year-long war with Israel that led to them signing a peace deal last November.
Preparations for an increase in arrivals are already under way, with an additional terminal to be built at Beirut’s international airport. Plans for a new airport are also in the works, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announcing last month that the master plan would be unveiled shortly and the project thrown open to foreign investors.
To be called the Rene Mouawad Airport, the new airport in Qlayaat “could play a strategic role in facilitating cargo movement and affordable travel”, Mr Salam told a conference in Beirut on Tuesday.
At the same time, flag carrier Middle East Airlines is looking at setting up a low-cost carrier to serve destinations in the Middle East and Europe.
The budget airline would be a wholly owned subsidiary of the wider MEA group but fully independent, Mohamad El Hout, chairman of MEA, told The National.
He said MEA had seen “significant growth in passenger traffic” this month, and was forecasting year-on-year growth of 10 per cent to 15 per cent in the second half of 2025.
Given its history of conflict, Lebanon’s security forces have also been rallied to encourage more foreign visitors.
“Preparations are under way to welcome tourists, though the state is working with a limited budget. Efforts have been made to improve visitors' experience. The road from the airport to Beirut has been repaired, and political banners and posters were removed months ago,” a senior security official involved in the operations told The National.
“What’s new is the increased police presence near airport routes, especially at night. Police staffing has recently expanded to accommodate these new duties, and additional checkpoints are now active, with clear instructions to search suspicious vehicles and fine violators.”
In the long run, drawing more visitors to its beaches, mountains and nightlife could play a key role in Lebanon’s efforts to rebuild an economy hit by mismanagement, corruption and war, with the tourism sector estimated to account for 20 per cent of GDP.
“Eid Al Adha gives a glimpse of how this summer will look,” Jean Abboud, president of the Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon, told The National. “We’re seeing new nationalities this year: Emiratis, Kuwaitis and Qataris. Gulf tourists tend to spend more time and money in the country.
“In May, airport traffic rose 11 per cent compared to the same period last year. The momentum is encouraging.”
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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
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Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
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Transmission: 6-speed auto
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan