The timing is staggering. Only a few paragraphs into Naji Bakhti's debut novel, Between Beirut and the Moon, his teenage narrator talks of a man being knocked through a window from the weight of an explosion – as people in this tense, beautiful city "occasionally are".
“Yeah, I’ve got mixed emotions about that line,” Bakhti, 29, says ruefully. Mercifully, after the devastating explosions that rocked the city on August 4, he had only shattered glass to clear up. “It was so powerful – every person in Beirut must have felt like the blast was on their street.”
And yet, the whole point of that first chapter is to set the scene for a city and a people in “a perpetual cycle of upheaval and instability”, which constantly drags Lebanon back to the precipice. “It feels like we are on another one now,” Bakhti says.
Clearly, the writer did not envisage a massive ammonium nitrate explosion in Between Beirut and the Moon, in which Adam – with his Christian mother and Muslim father – attempts to navigate adolescence, religion, culture and conflict in a confusing post-civil-war Lebanese capital. But there is something telling in the way the book lays bare the flaws and dysfunction of Lebanon in the same way the explosion has.
"This is a moment of reckoning," says Bakhti. "What I wanted to do with the book was look at growing up with tensions and conflicts just around the corner, and the explosion feels like a culmination of the negligence, mismanagement, corruption and incompetence that has dominated the particular way power in Lebanon works."
In the book Adam's father, who is a journalist, writes an article in which he says to be Lebanese today is to "miss your country when you are in your country", and Bakhti is tired of what he sees as a "manipulated" narrative that celebrates Lebanese people's resilience.
“Maybe we don’t need to bounce back immediately, but stop, put all the pieces back together that have been shattered by this explosion and seek the right tools to rise again on solid ground, before we move on,” he says.
"We have been constantly told since the civil war that Lebanon is a phoenix rising from the ashes, but in reality, we have just soared above the flames that are still there. And sometimes that means you get burnt."
All of which makes the tone of Between Beirut and the Moon really interesting. It’s not didactic or even particularly angry. Adam is baffled, amused and sometimes exasperated by the way his school, network of friends and family operate in a traumatic and turbulent city that seems to undermine him at every turn.
There is black comedy to many of the set pieces. When the family seek shelter and tell civil war stories in their small bathroom during an Israeli air strike, Adam becomes desperate to go the toilet – but cannot do so in such a confined space with so many people. It does not end well.
“The generational distance between myself and people who lived through the civil war did allow me some more freedom and space to be funny,” says Bakhti.
We have been told since the civil war that Lebanon is a phoenix rising from the ashes, but in reality, we have just soared above the flames that are still there
“I’m not denying the experience of that time, but humour can make the trauma more effable, a coping mechanism, perhaps. I don’t think we have a clear historical account of what happened or national reconciliation – we were very eager to move past the civil war and that led to what we have now. So perhaps humour can make these stories more relatable. And, actually, the bathroom scene did happen to us.”
One of the major successes of Bakhti's debut is that he adeptly navigates the delicate balancing act between comedy and trauma, youth and experience, fiction and exposition. Because there is not a linear plot other than Adam growing up and trying to cope with his highly charged surroundings – the episodic structure reflects the fragmented nature of the city – in the end you have to believe in the world he is trying to navigate.
And when Adam finally admits that he will not be able to achieve his dreams if he spends his whole life in Beirut, it feels like a hard-won, poignant moment in a classic coming-of-age drama.
“That is such a familiar sentiment for many young people growing up in Lebanon,” says Bakhti. “There is always this implicit understanding that if you get the chance to leave, you probably will have to take it. It would be almost reckless not to. But then, they also struggle with wanting to stay and change things for the better.
“Every character in the book at some point wants to believe in a better Lebanon, this place somewhere just beyond the horizon that they can one day reach. The harsh reality of day-to-day life is the constant reminder that there is an obstacle in the way, and that is the very fabric of the country itself.”
In the book, Adam’s father calls that painful situation “reinventing hope, when you know you will have to reinvent it again tomorrow”. Perhaps, finally, the reinvention can stick in the coming weeks and months.
Between Beirut and the Moon certainly offers some kind of dream that Lebanon’s future would thrive in the hands of its citizens rather than its sects. Timely, indeed.
'Between Beirut and the Moon' is published on Thursday, August 27 by Influx Press
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Ireland v Denmark: The last two years
Denmark 1-1 Ireland
7/06/19, Euro 2020 qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
19/11/2018, Nations League
Ireland 0-0 Denmark
13/10/2018, Nations League
Ireland 1 Denmark 5
14/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
11/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
