In a country where more than 50 per cent of people live below the poverty line, even a small increase in the price of basic goods can hit a family hard. Lebanon is one such country, but the scale of its economic meltdown over the past 18 months has been so severe that inflation has been devastating. A litre of milk in 2019 could be bought for 3,000 Lebanese pounds. Today, the price is 10,000.
Not so for the select few who have been offered the Al Sajjad card, a ticket to access a chain of supermarkets operated by the militant political party Hezbollah. Al Nour supermarkets, as the chain is known, offer card holders discounts of up to 70 per cent (capped at 300,000 Lebanese pounds) on a range of food and household products, most of which are imported from Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Iftar is getting increasingly expensive for Lebanese citizens. AFP
'Resistance economies' make leaders feel heroic, but the majority suffer
Hezbollah opened the shops to impoverished families living in areas under its political control late last year, ostensibly to help shield them from the economic crisis. But there is crisis response, and then there is crisis exploitation.
Lebanon's tragic decline has already hollowed out practically every aspect of its once-functioning state. Its citizens watch on as protests erupt over food, fuel and medicine shortages. Its economy, healthcare system and security are on the brink. No proposal from the international community seems enough to jolt its leaders into action.
There is, of course, a pressing need to supply essential services and goods. No one can blame those who are offered the Al Sajjad card for using it. But for Hezbollah's leaders and foreign backers, Iran chief among them, the establishment of special supermarkets is not strictly about helping their supporters. Those who have not been vetted by Hezbollah representatives are barred from entering the shops, and the group is suspected of having imported the goods sold there without paying customs duties.
The unthinkable has happened to the Lebanese state in recent years. A once cosmopolitan country is now struggling on every front, fights outside its bakeries as citizens tussle for bread have become a regular occurence. Its reputation as the Middle East's banking centre has been dashed, replaced by the financial shame of having a defunct central bank and little hard currency. Today, Lebanon's economy is widely viewed as one of the region's most dysfunctional.
Hezbollah's domestic reach has often been described as a state within a state, or at the very least, an aspiring one. The country's current crisis further pushes aspiration into reality. As decline and corruption continue to spread into Lebanese politics, a larger share of the people who Hezbollah claims to represent might view the group as their only hope. As Hezbollah's support programmes become more effective than central government's practically nonexistent response, the group is all the more likely to supplant the state not only militarily and politically, but also economically.
Hezbollah officials have said little publicly about their selective economic assistance programmes, other than boasting of their ability to bolster an "economy of resistance" against Western powers. So-called "resistance economies" might make their leaders feel invincible, but the vast majority of people always suffer.
This is not a basis for the systemic reform that Lebanon needs to rebuild. The risk of partisan fracturing is existential for the country. Recent history shows us how dangerous that route is. Without a cohesive central government, however bad it may be performing, there will be no overarching political system to change for the better. And Hezbollah could finally have its state, while the Lebanese who are excluded from it will suffer even more.
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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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
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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2.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
2.45pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m Winner: Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Shadwell Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 (TB) Dh575,000 (D) 1,600m Winner: Blown by Wind, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
