The once bustling streets of Beirut's Place L'Etoile is starkly quiet on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Now a few families sit in the ever-decreasing number of cafes as doors to the local shops remain shut.
Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, Lebanon's economy has taken a battering and with the country's own internal political problems, the situation has worsened.
Moutra Toubia Aoun street in Place L'Etoile, once home to boutique shops is virtually a ghost town, with all but the Subway fast-food restaurant closed down over the past year.
The area, just a stone's throw away from Riad El Solh, the seat of parliament, has been regularly occupied by protesters who close off access to the streets in the area.
This has had a dramatic impact on the independent retailers in the Solidere area, an upmarket development where apartments cost upwards of US$1 million (Dh3.6m) and now many stores have been forced to shut down.
The crisis in Syria has increased import and export costs of Lebanese companies.
The alternative arts store Plan Bey, based in the trendy area of Mar Mikhael near Solidere, has been struggling to source some of its stock which comes from Syria. Its TaTa Marie range of foodstuffs, made by a chef of the same name in Latakiya, Syria, in particular is becoming increasingly difficult to get to the store.
"She now has difficulties sourcing her ingredients, one week she has no fuel, the next she has no fruits for her jam," says Karma Tohme, the co-founder of Plan Bey. "But somehow she manages. It has become harder to get the supplies."
The exact number of Syrian refugees that have flooded into Lebanon is unknown, but estimates range from 800,000 to 1 million. Observers have voiced their concerns over the influx of Syrians on Lebanon's fragile political environment, which recently resulted in the resignation of Najib Mikati's government.
While the wealthy elite among the Syrian refugees are contributing to the economy by buying flats and cars among other goods, the majority are not so well off and have now become a burden on the Lebanese economy.
There are growing fears that the poorest among the refugees will turn to crime to survive.
In the trendy Gemmayzeh area, young Syrian children dance to the music blaring out of cars in the hope of making some spare change.
There is an air of uncertainty throughout, stemming not only from the actions of the Syrian government, but also from the local divisions.
Yet in some areas, life continues as normal. Near the high-end Zaitunay Bay, where an apartment can cost upward of $8,000 per square metre, you could be fooled for thinking all is well. Women with expensive handbags and designer clothes stroll down the promenade by the marina.
Lebanon depends quite heavily on remittances, which stood at $7.5bn last year according to the World Bank, and it is these wealthy expatriates from places such as Dubai and the United States that have pushed up prices locally. Zaitunay Bay opened in December 2011. There and in other upscale places near the water, yachts with American flags are moored in the bays and have become the go-to areas of expats and their families.
Inflation stood at 3.07 per cent in January last year, rising to an all-time high of 11.1 per cent in November, before dropping to 10.1 in January this year.
"You see women walk down the streets with bags that cost thousands of dollars and you wonder how they can afford them, because with the salaries in Lebanon, no one would be able to afford these things," said one resident.
Barclays Capital cautioned the severe deterioration in Lebanon's public finance performance and warned about future prospects. The country's fiscal deficient widened to 9.4 per cent of GDP last year, from 6 per cent in 2011.
Lebanon's decrepit infrastructure has hastened the public finance constraints. A 20 per cent increase in transfers to Electricite du Liban, the state-owned power operator has further damaged budgets and yet electricity production is still low.
While the capital has up to 21 hours of electricity a day, areas outside of Beirut muster three hours. The use of private diesel generators can be costly and cause a lot of air and noise pollution for those who can afford it.
Many are adopting a wait and see approach, but with years of conflict and wars in Lebanon, for many, this is just the way of life.
Quick%20facts
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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
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs%20
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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 Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Mountain%20Boy
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg
Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg
Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Wonka
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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
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