Emirates Airline is adding capacity on its flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut even as unrest in the region affects the country’s economic outlook.
The airline will upgrade both aircraft that operate the route from Dubai to the Lebanese capital to the wide-body Boeing 777.
Emirates has twice-daily flights to Lebanon.
A Boeing 777-200LR will replace the Airbus 330-200 from June 1, boosting seat capacity by 12 per cent, Emirates said. A Boeing 777-300 will take over from the other A330-200 from January 1, adding 53 per cent more capacity.
The number of refugees fleeing from the violence in neighbouring Syria and the threat of a spillover effect from conflict in the region have hit Lebanon’s macroeconomic prospects despite a boost from lower oil prices.
In December, the ratings agency Moody’s downgraded Lebanon’s government bond ratings to B2 from B1 and reaffirmed its negative outlook.
Among the reasons Moody’s specified were “adverse effects from the Syrian crisis on government finances, economic growth and political stability”.
Tourism took a hit in the summer of 2013, when Arabian Gulf countries including the UAE issued travel warnings to their citizens amid the threat of kidnappings.
The United States and United Kingdom have also issued travel warnings.
The number of Arab visitors to Lebanon declined by 12.2 per cent to 402,080 in 2013 over 2012, out of a total of 1.27 million tourists in 2013.
Gulf countries lifted their travel warnings in May last year.
The tourism minister Michel Pharaon said last month that the number of Saudis visiting Lebanon in February was up 65.5 per cent compared to a year earlier.
In February, occupancy rates at Beirut hotels rose by 24.7 per cent year on year to 49.3 per cent and room rates rose 29.7 per cent year-on-year to US$73.28, still among the most affordable in the region, according to the consultancy STR Global.
Emirates’ decision to increase capacity is in response to “healthy passenger demand”, said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, the divisional senior vice president for commercial operations at the airline.
Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for more detail about where the added demand was coming from.
Analysts said that the carrier would meet extra demand from Lebanese expatriates visiting home during the summer, with about 150,000 Lebanese living in the UAE and about 1,500 Lebanese-owned businesses operating in Jebel Ali Free Zone alone.
“Lebanon, despite its neighbours being in dire straits, is still a high-yield market for passengers, tourists and trade,” said Saj Ahmad, the chief analyst for the London-based consultancy StrategicAero Research.
With interest low from other airlines, Emirates could dominate the lucrative market this year.
The Lebanese national carrier Middle East Airlines, for example, is unlikely to offer much competition as it struggles to shed loss-making routes, according to Mr Ahmad.
“It’s partly because of this semi-lethargic attitude that Emirates and flydubai have stepped into Beirut and carved out a sizeable market here,” he said.
Flydubai, which started its Beirut services in 2009, has three flights a day to Lebanon and adds an extra flight during peak seasons such as Christmas, Eid Al Adha and school breaks.
“The demand comes from Lebanese expats working in the UAE who tend to go home for both visiting families and for tourism,” said Filippo Sona, the director at Colliers International in the Middle East and North Africa.
Emirates’ cargo operations are also planning to offer greater freight capacity on the route.
There will be extra cargo capacity of 560 tonnes per week in and out of Beirut this year, according to Emirates SkyCargo.
ssahoo@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Mulfit, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
