Lebanese officials named a little-known diplomat as the country’s new prime minister as French President French Emmanuel Macron travelled to Beirut on Monday.
Mustapha Adib, 48, has been given the task of dragging Lebanon back from the cliff face and persuading Mr Macron to provide much-needed financial support to the bankrupt country.
The name featured prominently in Google searches over the past 48 hours, with even seasoned political watchers rushing to familiarise themselves with the new leader.
Many of those supported Mr Adib had not heard of him until hours before the parliamentary session where he secured 90 votes, easily beating his nearest rival, Nawaf Salam.
The idea of a no-name leader being entrusted with saving the crisis-ridden country did not inspire confidence among many Lebanese.
They have been calling for an overhaul of a political class widely blamed for crises including the August 4 port blast that ravaged half of Beirut.
"I don’t believe in anyone any more,” said Rony Abdel Massih, 33.
“The government will do whatever Hezbollah wants it to do. This new guy will start with good intentions then after a few weeks he’ll fall under the influence of the corrupt.
"This is a never-ending cycle in Lebanon and it won’t stop until you remove the religious and the fanatics from it.”
Until yesterday, Mr Adib served as Lebanon's ambassador to Germany and previously worked as an aide to a former prime minister, the billionaire Najib Miqati, who is from the same city in North Lebanon, Tripoli.
Mr Adib, who was a political appointment as ambassador, owes his career to powerful patrons.
Analysts say he would be reluctant to turn on them now even as Lebanon lurches from one catastrophe to the next.
Bahaa Hariri, the eldest son of assassinated former prime minister Rafik, often disagrees with the policies and decisions of another former premier, his brother Saad.
Bahaa tweeted his opinion of the new leader earlier in the day.
"Adib is another proxy for Lebanon's old system," he said. "It is not acceptable for warlords and militias to run our country."
Rana, 32, from Tripoli, says she would have preferred to see Mr Salam, an acclaimed judge and former representative to the UN, become prime minister.
“Maybe if he took the lead then we’d see a novel way of running the country," Rana said.
"He’s an independent but that’s why the “sulta” (political class) will never give him a chance.
"I genuinely believe this Mustapha is another Hassan Diab [his predecessor] in a different wig.
"He’s been selected by the same folk who have been robbing us blind for over 30 years.”
Mr Adib will have to steer through a crippling crisis fuelled by years of mismanagement and corruption by the same leaders who appointed him.
Despite this, he is charged with pushing through structural reforms to stop widespread graft and resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Mr Macron has also made it clear that France’s help relied on reforms that wind back the patronage networks that have run Lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990, and from which all sects and their leaders have profited.
“Adib's appointment does not signal a new era in Lebanese politics but is merely a new face to a rotting regime and homework not well done by Macron,” said Daniella Daou, 23, a university graduate.
In his first televised speech, Mr Adib discussed “the difficult phase" that Lebanon is going through.
"After the destructive explosion that happened in the port that left many dead, injured and homeless, we do not have the time for promises or wishes," he said. "It is time to work."
Mr Adib's first act as prime minister-designate was to visit the site of the port blast, a gesture no other politician has made.
Lebanon’s other leaders were quick to deny responsibility for the devastating explosion that killed at least 190 people and injured 6,000.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
