For many Lebanese iPhone users, a digital invite is the only thing standing between them and a world of dialogue.
Welcome to Clubhouse, where, once you're off the waitlist and on the exclusive voice chat app, you're faced with a plethora of rooms that are open to all, no knocks or keys required.
In every room, users find themselves lost in a sea of names and profile pictures, everyone patiently waiting for their turn to speak.
Why Clubhouse?
The audio, invite and iOS-only application was initially launched in April 2020 by entrepreneur Paul Davison and former Google engineer Rohan Seth, and was valued at nearly $100 million merely one month later.
Now, it's worth about $1 billion.
It grew exponentially in February, following a talk on the app by Tesla boss Elon Musk, going from three to five million users "almost overnight", according to Wired.
Among those enthusiastically using the app are the Lebanese, who have not shied away from jumping on the bandwagon, downloading the application and distributing invites among one another.
Under Covid-19 safety measures and restrictions, physical gatherings in streets and lively locales have been replaced with a virtual cafe that's only one tap away. The uniqueness of Clubhouse attracts those looking to connect, engage, discuss, listen and network.
Soon enough, clubs such as ‘Lebanon 2030’, ‘Lebanon 2.0’ and ‘Politics of Lebanon’ were amassing huge numbers of members and hosting rooms on all sorts of topics, from elections to governments and reforms.
Now, Lebanese users of different ideologies are coming together in the realm of one room to engage in effective dialogue.
Meaningful discussions
When reflecting on the state of the crisis-stricken country, the disparities among the Lebanese pale in comparison.
"People understand that Lebanon is in a real crisis and they're all experiencing existential dread," Marwan Matni, Lebanese journalist and political activist, tells The National.
“Everyone is scared of what will happen tomorrow, so they’re engaging in conversations to understand where they are and where they’re going."
Users of all ages, professions, sects, backgrounds, religions and beliefs are meeting up in Clubhouse rooms to share their thoughts on the crises that have plagued Lebanon, caused by years of corruption and mismanagement.
Today, political deadlock has hindered the implementation of an urgent economic rescue plan, the formation of an efficient government and accountability against those who knew about the ammonium nitrate that decimated Beirut on August 4, but did nothing.
It did, however, set in motion grounds for dialogue that are lacking on other media channels.
"Clubhouse enforces respect," says a Lebanese law student and activist who wishes to remain anonymous. "If you don't want to abide by that, it's not the platform for you."
From digital rooms to real-world meet-ups
While other social media platforms can be used by fake profiles, Clubhouse allows for genuine and realistic conversations, explains Roland Abi Najem, a cybersecurity and digital transformation consultant.
“It allows people to express themselves with emotions like they would in real life because their names and voices are public.”
Clubhouse has served as an ‘ice breaker’ between groups that have long learnt to disagree with one another, he adds.
After participating in rooms with groups of different ideologies, Jade Dimien, a member of the Lebanese Forces Central Council, says he focused on finding common ground and sharing "similar values" with others.
“The application has narrowed the differences between groups and showed them the extent of common ground they can share,” he explains.
The app's impact has even extended beyond the digital-scape, with users arranging in-person debates and discussions.
"It's important that we take what we learn in Clubhouse rooms and apply it into the real world," says Dimien, who is from Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city and one of the most impoverished areas on the Mediterranean. He has been actively partaking in rooms discussing solutions and projects for the neglected city.
“These discussions are a huge added value, and hopefully the positive impact will continue to grow with time.”
'Capable of change'
While Clubhouse may not play the same role that social media platforms did in igniting the Arab uprisings, it can help regain faith in Lebanon's protests which first kicked off in mid-October 2019, argue activists.
"After October 17, the ruling class tried its best to downplay the impact of the demonstrations," says Matni. "But Clubhouse can help the Lebanese see that they are capable of change."
The ‘rules’ of Clubhouse play an important part in facilitating dialogue about this, he says.
For example, moderators keep the discussion in check, cycling back to the designated topic and avoiding heated arguments. Even 'trolls' who enter Clubhouse rooms to start trouble have quickly learnt that unless they improve their communication, they won't get the chance to speak.
"They can simply be muted or removed off stage, so it teaches them to change their ways if they really want to talk," says the law student.
When you're in a room with people who are listening and forming an opinion based on what you're saying, you do your best to deliver a logical discussion
People are encouraged to speak one at a time, prompting others to listen. Speakers are then more motivated to present a valid and succinct argument.
“When you’re in a room with people who are listening and forming an opinion based on what you’re saying, you do your best to deliver a logical discussion,” explains Abi Najem.
This approach has broken down barriers and defied the perception of “us vs them”, still very prevalent in Lebanon, and instead brought people closer together, all drawn in by a collective concern for the country and its future.
“If things get worse in Lebanon, it’s not a chapter we can turn over, it’s a turning point,” says Matni. “We have to listen to each other because politicians won’t listen.”
'Politicians can hear you'
Many of Lebanon’s lawmakers and ministers have also joined Clubhouse to share their programmes and visions for the country, especially ahead of the parliamentary elections in 2022.
Despite offering promises for years, politicians were received on the application by citizens who welcomed the two-way communication.
“Regardless of how you feel about the politicians, it’s important to express your views and tell them where they went wrong directly," says Dimien. "Unlike other media outlets, on Clubhouse you know that they can hear you.”
Result
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Brraq, Ryan Curatolo (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m; Winner: Bright Melody, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Naval Crown, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m; Winner: Volcanic Sky, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SQUADS
South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed
Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group C
Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Singapore
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South Korea
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
