By any standards it was an insignificant event. A woman, out with friends at a Beirut entertainment spot, sees other patrons violating Law 174 that prohibits smoking in public places. She complains to the manager and is verbally abused and thrown out for her trouble.
That might have been the end of it, but in this new brave social media world, one must be careful. In this case the woman, Dalal Mawad was a blogger and "multimedia journalist". She wrote about the incident; Facebook was abuzz and the local press, albeit briefly, picked up on it.
Lebanon is divided over the wisdom of the law. While many see Ms Mawad as a Lebanese Rosa Parks, others feel she is a busybody who deserved everything she got.
"You are in Lebanon, law gets applied on nice people and doesn't get applied on nasty ones … you wanna protect the law go report drug dealing in [the] Dahye or weapon traffic in Baalbeck or whatever big crime being committed somewhere. Don't be a party pooper and pick on a couple of civilised people who light a cigarette indoor on a cold night" was just one of the comments left on her website by one man, clearly unable to curb his liberal instincts.
Law 174 has underscored our chronic inability to enforce rules.
In the true Lebanese spirit of compromise, there is already a comfortable truce that allows restaurants and bars to let customers smoke in conservatory style areas. It is a grey area that no one wants to challenge but it has once again chipped away at whatever integrity we have left.
In the short term at least, the state is not going to pull its weight so - and please bear with me for a second - surely now is the time for the private sector to set an example in a society in which the government has all but lost its mojo.
Local businesses already dictate the country's economic heartbeat so why not use their clout to make sure their business partners demonstrate best practice? Call it governance; call it corporate social responsibility, call it what you want, but Law 174 must take hold for the sake of future regulation. There can be no more damning indictment of a nation than the absence of law and order.
From awareness creation to reducing the nation's health bill (after all, the government announced on Monday that it could no longer afford to offer free health care to those unable to pay for it) creating a genuine investment environment, the private sector can play a role.
Food and beverage suppliers can refuse to supply goods and services to those establishments that refuse to abide by the law, while banks can offer similar incentives.
There has already been widespread condemnation in the social media of owners and public figures who ignored the smoking ban; now the "name and shame" campaign needs teeth to make it bite.
Workers also need to be made aware of the fact that most anti-smoking laws are enacted primarily to protect them and ensure they work in a healthy environment.
It is an element of the debate that needs to be reinforced. Again this is something that the private sector, especially those in the service industry, can highlight.
Around the same time that Ms Mawad was venting her spleen about protecting her lungs, the local media reported a spate of needless traffic accidents over two days that claimed at least five lives, including a young woman of 21, a jogger and a soldier on traffic duty.
Lebanon's car sellers enjoy an exclusive dealership monopoly. They should do more to contribute to a proper national road safety campaign.
The government is never going to do it, but there are excellent non-governmental organisations, such as Kun Hade and Yasa, that would no doubt welcome the chance to generate wider exposure.
For their part the dealers would burnish their corporate credentials and set an example of good governance and social responsibility.
It's just a thought.
Michael Karam is a Beirut-based freelance writer
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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.
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.
Ferrari
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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
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
