Last week in Beirut, I had lunch with a friend at a restaurant whose USP, apart from serving delicious food, is to have a table-sharing concept as well as the option to sit outside on the street on wooden crates. All very Shoreditch but it breaks the usually stuffy Lebanese mould and is by all accounts doing very well. This was the second time we had been and we noticed that the owner had expanded his business by taking the next-door property. “Just you wait and see,” my friend said. “The Lebanese ... the moment they see someone becoming successful, they drop you like a stone.”
It was harsh analysis, but it was based on more than a grain of truth. Lebanon is a small and intimate country where everyone knows everyone. We know who owns which bank, which car dealership, which hospital and which rooftop bar. We even know who owns the city centre. And the next day, as I took off from Beirut heading back to London, I reflected on my friend’s theory.
And it was then that I had a rare epiphany. You see, up until that moment, I had told anyone who cared to listen that the process of land expropriation that led to creation of the new post-civil war Beirut Central District (BCD) was unavoidable, that Solidere, the company tasked with rebuilding the 191-hectare area, had no choice but to “seize” land and refund landlords with shares. The argument was that this policy would ensure that the process of reconstruction would be holistic instead of piecemeal and reliant on the financial commitment of the individual owners. It would have been a horrible mishmash, I would argue. There was no other way.
This impassioned reasoning was normally deployed in the face of arguments that the late prime minister Rafik Hariri, who created and mandated Solidere in its mammoth task, was creating a playground for his buddies in the GCC and jobs for his cronies at home, in particular Sunnis from his hometown of Sidon. Bottom line, this was not a city centre for the ordinary Lebanese as it once had been.
Hariri had a “build it and they will come” attitude and to be fair in the early days of the BCD – we’re talking 2000 – everybody flocked to the area. Parliament Square on a Sunday was packed with families of all classes, happy to have somewhere to go in a city with very few public spaces, jostling with tourists – Arab and non-Arab – and all having a jolly good time.
In 2005, when Hariri, his former economy minister Bassel Fleihan and 19 other innocent souls were immolated in front of the nearby Hotel St Georges, the area became politicised. The March 8 and March 14 blocs were born in subsequent political upheaval during which the area was swamped by huge public demonstrations. A year later, in 2006, there was an 18-month sit in by the pro-Syrian, anti-Hariri March 8 parties in the area. This turmoil effectively ripped the heart out of the area to the extent that it is now a shadow of its former self during the day and a barbed wire-draped ghost town after dark. And I would argue that it was just bad luck that the area became stigmatised and business owners decided to open in less controversial areas.
That was until my moment of sudden realisation on the Middle East Airlines Airbus. And it went something like this: there really was no reason why the government had to blanket expropriate all the land. It should have given tenants the option to restore their respective buildings by a certain time frame and according to strict building codes. Those who couldn’t do so, either for financial or complicated legal reasons, would have to accept the share option. If this had happened, the process would have become more of a joint venture and we wouldn’t have had the vicious anti-Solidere sentiment that has tarred the whole process with the brush of corruption and self-interest.
Would it have made a difference? Yes, and here is where my friend’s comment about the picky nature of the Lebanese is relevant: those landlords who got back their property would have been invested in making the area work. The BCD would not be seen as the property of one family or, even more toxic, one sect. I wager it would have endured Lebanon’s sad political trajectory between 2005 and 2008. As it was, deep down in the Lebanese psyche, they saw it as the sole preserve of one family and by and large, they have turned their back on it.
Michael Karam is a freelance writer who lives between Beirut and Brighton.
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
The five pillars of Islam
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Porpoise
By Mark Haddon
(Penguin Random House)
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)
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
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
Book%20Details
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
PRISCILLA
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5