New rates for Lebanon’s telecoms sector went into effect on Friday, the result of a last-minute law passed last month by the country’s Cabinet days before it went into caretaker status.
The tariff increase means that all phone and internet subscriptions will now need be paid at the central bank’s dollar rate, which fluctuates daily, effectively raising bills exponentially. As of Friday the Central Bank rate was at 25,300 Lebanese pounds to the dollar.
Before the new tariffs came into effect, all subscriptions were paid at the official rate of 1,500 Lebanese pounds to the dollar.
But a devastating and prolonged economic crisis means the Lebanese pound has plunged in value, making the official government rate nearly obsolete.
The Lebanese pound is now worth around 95 per cent less than it was three years ago, when the economy began to enter its steep decline.
Khodr Jaber, a full-time taxi driver living in Beirut, said price increases have added insult to injury for Lebanon’s increasingly impoverished population.
“This isn’t right,” the 57-year-old said. “People can’t handle it anymore. Food is expensive, fuel is expensive, electricity and now our phone bills.”
In comparison to 2019, when a proposed Whatsapp tax was enough to cause mass protests, the sharp increase in the price of telecoms appears to have been grudgingly accepted by a resigned populace.
As the first symptoms of Lebanon’s economic crisis began to show in 2019, a proposed tax on the usage of WhatsApp — the internet messaging app used by most Lebanese — led to nationwide protests against Lebanon’s ruling class that lasted months.
As the revolt to take down Lebanon’s ruling class slowly petered out, the symptoms of financial collapse became more acute. And little has changed for the better in the past three years, with the same political elite in control of Lebanon’s government.
Reforms necessary for unlocking billions of dollars in international aid have yet to be enacted, agreement over a financial recovery road map has dragged and a bailout by the International Monetary Fund remains a long way off.
Commercial banks in 2019 imposed capital controls on small depositors, barring access to dollars and only allowing them to gain access to their money in Lebanese pounds at vastly reduced rates.
And now, the UN reports that about 80 per cent of Lebanon's population has become impoverished.
The small Mediterranean country suffers from chronic shortages of fuel, power, water, wheat and medicine, while prices for goods and services have soared due to severe inflation.
Government subsidies, which before helped keep costs low for the average citizens, have slowly been rolled back on goods such as medicine and fuel, making them out of reach for many.
Authorities hope the increase in prices for telecoms will help boost the failing economy.
Back in February, telecoms minister Johnny Corm said that the struggling sector would not survive if there was no increase in prices. He told local media in May that total revenue for the sector is expected to increase drastically following the implementation of the new tariff, from $70 million to $350m.
For months, Lebanon’s telecoms sector has been on the verge of collapse. Internet and mobile coverage cuts have increased due to power and diesel shortages as well as theft of vital infrastructure.
Mohammed Najem, co-founder of Beirut-based digital rights organisation SMEX, told The National that it is unclear whether the price increases would result in the increase in revenue promised by Mr Corm.
“With these price increases, the sector will just be sustaining itself, remaining on the brink,” he said. “Lebanon will become a place where no one will be able to use telecoms except those who are privileged.
“The prices have increased at least five times what they were. A lot of people can't afford these prices, which means many people will either use much less internet or they will go totally offline.”
Mr Najem cited neighbouring Syria as an example. The war-torn Arab nation increases the price of telephone and internet packages last year, but with a population impoverished by years of war and international sanctions, usage decreased and the country’s telecoms sector did not see the significant revenue bump it had hoped for.
Rather than expanding Lebanon’s telecoms sector and developing infrastructure, Mr Najem said, authorities are “milking it for cash like a cow”.
Imad Kreidieh, head of the state-owned internet provider Ogero, agrees that the revenues would not allow for further development of the sector. He said the price hikes would simply allow the sector to sustain itself as it is now, preventing further collapse, while infrastructure development will remain out of reach for the struggling nation.
And because mobile data will become too expensive for many, Mr Kreidieh predicts there will be a change in consumer behavior, with more Lebanese opting for traditional broadband services over data.
Many Lebanese have voiced concern over being forced to shoulder the burden of their nation’s economic collapse while its politicians bicker and trade blame.
“Nothing will change as long as these mafias are in power. The government doesn’t do anything except raise prices on us,” said Mr Jaber, the taxi driver.
He told The National that he can barely afford his current bills. With the new prices, it will become difficult for him to top-up his mobile phone.
“Soon people will be calling to each other from rooftops like in the old days,” he joked. “Because no one will be able to afford WhatsApp.”
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
The%20specs
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
