Randa Kobeissi visits Lebanon every summer, and this summer is no different, despite the danger posed by the border conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Last week, she travelled from the US to her native city of Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon, to see family and friends and simply enjoy the feeling of being home.
To her the danger is worth the stay – even though the conflict escalated very shortly after her arrival.
“It helps me maintain a relationship with my country, to stay connected to it, and to make sure my kids have the same connection to their homeland too,” she said.
Mrs Kobeissi is one of thousands of diaspora Lebanese visiting this summer. Like many, she makes the trek home at least once a year, “and in recent years, twice.”
Since 2019, the diaspora has experienced Lebanon's extreme economic, social and political unrest when they visit their home country.
Now, they brave an armed conflict along Lebanon’s southern border that threatens to spill into the rest of the country and the wider region.
The conflict erupted just as Lebanon’s tourism sector appeared to be settling down and making gains.
In 2023, according to figures released by the country’s central bank, tourism revenue increased from the previous year by 1.7 per cent – accounting for around 30 per cent of Lebanon’s overall gross domestic product.
Still, although tourism increased last year it is not projected to do so this year – and the gains are still far from pre-2019 economic crisis levels.
Hotels, for example, are not at capacity despite the annual summer tourism boom.
“Prices are set lower than they should be while our expenses are high,” said Sheyma Akil, the front office manager of the 4-star Plaza Hotel in Beirut’s Hamra district.
This is because many of the Lebanese diaspora own houses in their home villages or stay with family and rarely need to stay in hotels. Mrs Kobeissi stays in their multi-storey family villa when she visits.
The hotel industry has typically served Gulf Arab and western tourists.
“Restaurants and car rentals will benefit more, but not hotels,” according to the luxury InterContinental Phoenicia hotel’s marketing director, Cynthia Flouty.
Hotels are counting on the Eid Al Adha holiday to herald the summer boom, when the clientele will increase.
“During Adha and summer we mainly get leisure clientele. But the situation in Gaza has affected the whole region, so we’ve lost our European and Latin-American clientele.”
The small country's hospitality sector had been recovering before October 7, she explained, but the start of the Israel-Gaza war prompted most non-Arab tourists to cancel their plans, out of fear of regional spillover.
“Now we have mostly Kuwaiti, Qatari, Iraqi, and Jordanian clientele.”
Last August, many Gulf countries imposed travel bans on Lebanon after armed clashes in the Ain Al Hilweh camp for Palestinian refugees threatened to escalate.
Saudi Arabia has since reinforced its travel ban and the UAE still discourages travel to Lebanon following the start of the Israel-Gaza war.
Marwan Haber, head of commercial operations at the state-owned Middle East Airlines, said that “Saudi and Gulf tourism was the backbone of the tourism economy. Their absence has been felt.”
Additionally, following the outbreak of violence on the Lebanon-Israel border, MEA has had to reduce its fleet “because the insurance coverage decreased because of the war”, he said.
Between January and May, the airline’s capacity was reduced by 20 per cent, Mr Haber told The National.
MEA expects “at least 90 per cent of last year’s capacity” in July and August.
“It’s always the same in summer. The diaspora doesn’t get scared of any situation here. In line with that, we expect a hot [tourism] summer – unless the situation in the region escalates.”
Mr Haber’s sentiments are echoed by Mrs Kobeissi in Nabatieh.
“I don’t think many Lebanese will stop coming to Lebanon. This place has always been unstable and it’s never stopped us before,” she said.
However, she added that this year she didn't bring her children with her. Fearing that an escalation in fighting could lead to the airport being closed, she returned to her homeland alone.
She recalled when she and her children were on holiday in Nabatieh when the 2006 Lebanon-Israel war suddenly erupted.
“My oldest son would be playing outside in our village – where it’s safer to play because if the house got bombed I didn’t want it falling on the kids – and he would see warplanes in the sky,” she told The National.
“Back then, he was too young, it was just part of life for him. It wasn’t until years later that he realised it wasn’t normal.”
“I don’t want my kids to be traumatised by war and for that to sour their relationship with Lebanon,” said Ms Kobeissi.
“I want their relationship with Lebanon to stay beautiful.”
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
WISH
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Buck%2C%20Fawn%20Veerasunthorn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ariana%20DeBose%2C%20Chris%20Pine%2C%20Alan%20Tudyk%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
