Lebanon’s prime minister-designate made a last-ditch effort on Wednesday to form a Cabinet after nine months of political bickering with the president.
Saad Hariri handed President Michel Aoun a list of prospective Cabinet members made up of non-partisan experts, which the prime minister said falls in line with a French-led international initiative to support Lebanon in tackling its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.
“I presented the president with a Cabinet line-up of 24 experts in line with the French initiative … I believe such a government can shoulder the burden and contain the crisis,” Mr Hariri said.
Mr Hariri is now awaiting the president’s response before deciding whether to withdraw his nomination, a move which could exacerbate the country’s political crisis without wide-ranging agreement over a potential successor.
“I hope that President Aoun will provide an answer tomorrow so that we can act accordingly. This is the moment of truth after nearly nine months have passed,” Mr Hariri told reporters at the presidential palace.
The prime minister-designate’s remarks follow reports of his plan to withdraw his nomination if Mr Aoun dismisses his latest Cabinet proposal, amid efforts led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s Shiite ally, to secure an agreement with Mr Hariri over his successor.
The meeting followed a short visit to Cairo where Mr Hariri met President Abdel Fatah El Sisi before returning to Beirut to meet Mr Aoun. Just hours earlier, Mr El Sisi voiced support for the “political course” taken by Mr Hariri to restore stability in Lebanon.
A government official briefed on the talks said Egypt strongly supported Mr Hariri, “partially out of concern that a total meltdown of Lebanon's economy and banking system could have negative repercussions for the entire region.”
Mr Hariri’s latest Cabinet line-up denies any one group over a third of the Cabinet seats and consequently veto power in government.
Mr Hariri has accused the president of blocking the formation of a Cabinet in which his son-in-law and presidential aspirant Gebran Bassil, the leader of the largest parliamentary bloc, would lack veto power. Mr Aoun has denied the accusation, saying that the prime minister-designate was seeking to impose the line-up in violation of the constitution.
The political paralysis has led the international community to threaten Lebanon’s officials with sanctions in coming weeks after having pressed them for months to form a Cabinet that undertakes reforms in exchange for international financial support. The international community has said financial support is contingent on the government’s implementation of long-sought reforms to fight corruption and kick-start the economy.
Mr Hariri’s latest initiative followed a flurry of diplomatic contacts as Western diplomats shuttled between Paris, Riyadh and Beirut to discuss the Lebanese crisis with a focus on humanitarian assistance.
Diplomatic activity intensified in recent days as hopes of a political breakthrough faded and the country’s woes worsened, with shortages in medication and fuel threatening to disrupt vital industries which have suffered daily power blackouts and internet outages.
Since the crisis unfolded in late 2019, the national currency has lost more than 95 per cent of its value, and more than half of the population is now living in poverty.
The crisis has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and a massive explosion that shook Beirut last August, killing more than 200 people and wounding thousands.
The explosion, which caused billions of dollars in damage across the capital, forced Prime Minister Hassan Diab to resign, and the country has since lacked a functioning government.
Almost a year later, it remains unclear what triggered the explosion of tons of ammonia nitrate that were stored at the port for more than six years and the stalled investigation into the blast has sparked clashes between security forces and families of the victims.
Lawmakers asked last week for more evidence before allowing lead investigator Judge Tarek Bitar to proceed with the questioning and prosecution of senior political and security officials, a move which legal experts and human rights activists say was aimed at buying politicians time in violation of the law.
It was the latest setback for an investigation that has been shrouded in controversy since the supreme court removed Mr Bitar’s predecessor after he charged Mr Diab and three former ministers with criminal negligence in connection with the blast.
Mr Diab’s indictment last year complicated talks between Mr Aoun, the Christian head of state, and Mr Hariri over the Cabinet formation.
Mr Hariri called Mr Diab’s indictment an attack on the post of prime minister, a position reserved for a Sunni Muslim under Lebanon's confessional power-sharing system.
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: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Pathaan
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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
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
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.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
