The spectacular withdrawal of former prime minister Saad Hariri from politics on Monday has left his political party in disarray, with MPs uncertain of their future and fearing growing division just five months away from parliamentary elections.
“We’re a bit lost, let’s see what the next couple of days bring,” MP Sami Fatfat from the Future Movement told The National. “It’s a blow.”
MP Mohammad Hajjar said that he feared that the party’s enemies, including Iran-backed Hezbollah, would gain more ground. “I’m worried about my people and my region. Who could replace me?” he asked. “I think there will be massive abstention among the Sunni population.”
Mr Hariri’s withdrawal creates a void in Lebanese political life, which is governed along complex sectarian lines. The Future Movement, which will not participate in the May 15 parliamentary elections following Mr Hariri’s speech, represented most of the country’s Sunni Muslims.
We might see the disintegration of the country through war or just withering away
Mustafa Allouche,
a former parliamentarian and senior member of the Future Movement party
The post of prime minister is always held by a Sunni Muslim, while the presidency goes to a Maronite Christian, and the Parliament Speaker is a Shiite Muslim.
A three-time prime minister, Mr Hariri is the political heir of his late father Rafik, a billionaire who was assassinated in 2005.
But his businesses have faced turmoil in the past years, starting with the closure of the family construction firm in Saudi Arabia in 2017. He recognised this in his speech on Monday, saying that he had suffered personal financial losses and lost friendships due to political compromises.
Mr Hariri has shown growing frustration with local politics in recent years and announced in July that he had given up trying to form a Cabinet after he was appointed prime minister in October 2020. At the time, he blamed President Michel Aoun, who shifted the blame back on Mr Hariri. He had previously resigned in the face of mass anti-government protests in late 2019.
'We had no impact'
Political infighting has worsened Lebanon’s financial crisis, which has pushed more than three quarters of the population into poverty.
“I cannot stand […] that some Lebanese consider me as a pillar of this regime that is responsible for this catastrophe,” Mr Hariri said in his speech on Monday.
In a tweet, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati described Mr Hariri’s withdrawal as a “sad page” for the country but that he understood his “bitterness”. “The homeland will unite us and moderation is our path,” he said.
Mustafa Allouche, a former parliamentarian and senior member of the Future Movement party, told The National that the Future Movement could not continue being a “Sunni cover” for Hezbollah’s actions, which he blamed for the country's woes. The Shiite Muslim party is allied to President Aoun.
“We had no impact” while in power, he said.
He was unsure of what will come next. “It’ll be a soup of everything,” he said. “Anyone who tries to find a reason to run in the elections and was part of the Future Movement is just a hypocrite now.”
Mr Allouche said that he and Mr Hariri had lost hope in Lebanon’s future. “We might see the disintegration of the country through war or just withering away,” he said.
Though some party members like Mr Hajjar said that Mr Hariri’s withdrawal was temporary, Lebanese political analyst Imad Salamey believes that he has quit for good. He described his move as “both good and bad”.
“It’s natural for political leaders who lose on the ground because of miscalculations or electoral outcomes to give their post to others,” he said.
The Future Movement appeared the main loser in the 2018 legislative elections, when it lost around a third of its seats.
But the party's absence this year may also encourage conflicts because of the nature of Lebanon’s sectarian politics. “There isn’t much alternative among the Sunnis, which will create a power gap and instability,” said Mr Salamey.
“It can add to the sense of deprivation within the Sunni community and that can feed into extremism.”
Former prime minister Tammam Salam, who said last week he would not run in the May elections, wrote on Twitter on Monday that Mr Hariri’s decision reflected “deep political imbalances”.
In what looked like a reference to the Future Movement’s rivals such as Mr Aoun, he added that it could be a lesson “to those who consider themselves victorious today over the remains of the collapsed homeland”.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
The fake news generation
288,000 – the number of posts reported as hate speech that were deleted by Facebook globally each month in May and June this year
11% – the number of Americans who said they trusted the news they read on Snapchat as of June 2017, according to Statista. Over a quarter stated that they ‘rarely trusted’ the news they read on social media in general
31% - the number of young people in the US aged between 10 and 18 who said they had shared a news story online in the last six months that they later found out was wrong or inaccurate
63% - percentage of Arab nationals who said they get their news from social media every single day.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
