By Fatima Al Mahmoud — thenationalnews.com — Lebanon’s economic crisis may have put a cap on people’s foreign-currency deposits, but not their creativity. Lbnb, Lebanon’s answer to Airbnb, was created by hospitality designer and architect Nagi El Husseini, 43, to salvage the hard-hit services sector. While the online platform looks a lot like the international equivalent, it charges in Lebanese pounds and serves as a marketplace for homestays, holiday rentals and tourism.

Lbnb’s Lebanese pound denomination gets around the limits on foreign currency cash withdrawals and online spending imposed by Lebanese banks. The restrictions came into effect in the summer of 2019 as Lebanon’s economic crisis began – the value of the Lebanese pound lost more than 80 per cent of its value in a matter of weeks, banks halted withdrawals and limited spending in foreign currencies. US dollars – once used in tandem with the pound – became scarce as the country’s foreign reserves dried up. “Because of the financial crisis, people could not use Airbnb anymore,” Mr El Husseini told The National. “So we created a Lebanese Airbnb where everything is in Lebanese.” The goal, Mr El Husseini said, is to encourage property owners who have spare rooms or houses to put them up for rent and earn a side income. The platform also aims to promote local travel in major Lebanese cities and offbeat villages. “Our motto is travel local, pay local,” he said. “We’re not competing with Airbnb. We’re complementing it and trying to fill the gaps in the market.”

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

لم تَنتظر إيران الاتّصالَ بين رئيسِها الجديد إبراهيم رئيسي والرئيس إيمانويل ماكرون، لتُدركَ مدى حَظْوَتِـها لدى فرنسا. منذ العهودِ الملكيّةِ والحَمَلاتِ الصَليبيّة، وبلادُ فارس جُزءٌ من الذاكرةِ التاريخيّةِ الفرنسيّة. الملِكُ لويس الرابع عشر استقبلَ في 19 شباط 1715 سفيرَ السلطان حسين صَفَويّ في قصر ڤرساي. فلاسفةٌ ورحّالةٌ وأدباءُ وشعراءُ فرنسيّون كتبوا بإعجابٍ عن تلك البلادِ التي “لا تَنتشرُ في مروجِها سوى الورود” (ديدْرو)، و”بَلاطُ سلطانِها يَفوحُ عظمةً أكثرَ من البابِ العالي العثماني” (ڤولتير).

وإذا كان الفرنسيّون انتظروا حَملةَ بونابرت إلى مِصر سنةَ 1798 ليُبالوا مباشرةً بالتراثِ المصري، فاكتِراثُهم ببلادِ فارس تنامى منذ القرنِ السادسَ عَشَرَ، وتعَزَّزَ في القرونِ التالية، لاسيّما في عصرِ الأنوارِ مع ڤولتير ومونتسكيو وديدْرو وشاردان وغالان، إلخ… لكنَّ السياسةَ لم تواكِبْ المسارَ الأدبيَّ، ففرنسا كانت مرتبِطةً باتّفاقاتٍ وامتيازاتٍ مع العثمانيّين، من بينِها الحقُّ في حمايةِ مسيحيّي الشرق. ولـمّا أقدَم الملِكُ لويس الثالثَ عَشَر نحو سنةِ 1640على عقدِ اتفاقاتٍ تجاريّةٍ مع الشاه عباس الصَفَويّ وضَمّنَها حقَّ حمايةِ مسيحيّي بلادِ فارس، أفْشلَها العثمانيّون.

كَوّنَ المجتمعُ الفرنسيُّ، السياسيُّ والنخبويُّ، هذه الصورةَ شِبهَ الرومانسيّة لأنه تَعرّف على بلادِ فارس من خلال الأدباءِ والرحَّالةِ الّذين كتبوا عن أُبَّـهةِ سلاطينِها وانفتاحِ شعبِها، عن قِبابِ جوامِعها الزرقاءِ والسمراء، عن البذخِ والليالي الصباحيّة، عن قِصصِ “ألفِ ليلةٍ وليلة”، عن شِهْرَذاد وشَهْرِيار. حتى أنَّ ممثّلِي فرنسا وتوسكانا حاولوا إقناعَ أميرِ جبلِ لبنان، فخرالدين المعني الثاني، بالتحالفِ مع الفرس سنتَي 1607 و1634، فتَحفّظَ خَشيةَ إثارةِ العثمانيّين الّذين وسّعُوا سُلطةَ المعنـيِّين مِن أعالي الشُوفِ حتّى صيدا ومُحيطِها الجَنوبيّ لمُراقَبةِ صَفَوِيِّي البِقاع الشَّماليّ وشِيعةِ بَني عامل في الجَنوب ومَنعِ اتصالِـهم بإيران.

ظلّت صورةُ بلادِ فارس جميلةً في مخيّلةِ الفرنسيّين إلى أن راحَ المؤرِّخون والباحِثون يَتناولون الوجهَ العسكريَّ والدمويَّ للإمبراطوريّاتِ الفارسيّةِ واضْطِهادَهم مسيحيّي جورجيا والأرمن، واجتياحَهم أفغانستان وشعوبًا أخرى في آسيا الوسطى. رغم ذلك، ظلَّ الفرنسيّون يتمايَلون بين بلادِ فارس الحضارةِ والآداب، وبلادِ فارس الحربِ والعنف. لم تَحسِمْ فرنسا خِيارَها النهائيَّ حتّى بعد انتصارِ الثورةِ الخمينيّة سنةَ 1979 لأنّ هناكَ بلادَ فارس أخرى هي آبارُ النَّفطِ والمشاريعُ الكبرى والأسواقُ التجاريّةُ الواسعة.

Egypt’s petroleum minister said today he hoped to export Egyptian gas as soon as possible to Jordan to generate power that will supply Lebanon, Reuters reports. The minister made his remarks after a meeting in Jordan that also included his Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian counterparts. The meeting was held to discuss a US-backed plan to […]

Beirut – Asharq Al-Awsat A new book by Journalist Abdul-Sattar Ellaz, to be published soon by Dar Riyad Al-Rayes for Books and Publishing, recounts the details of the difficult period during which Tammam Salam assumed the premiership of the Lebanese government – the last under the tenure of President Michel Suleiman and which continued during the presidential vacuum that lasted two and a half years before the election of President Michel Aoun. The book narrates the main obstacles that Salam faced during his tenure, during which he spent more than ten months seeking to form a government of “national interest,” and two years and ten months leading a government that assumed the responsibilities of the presidency with the failure to elect a new president. Asharq Al-Awsat publishes excerpts from one of the book’s chapters entitled, “When We Make Our Brothers Enemies”, which touched on the difficulties that Salam’s government faced in the relations with Arab countries, due to Hezbollah’s role and its interference in the internal affairs of Gulf states, in addition to the positions of then-Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, which were biased towards Iran.

Salam talks to journalist Ellaz about the difficulties he faced due to these interventions, and the negative role played by Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement. He says: “I am from a school that considers politics to be a noble act that has its moral obligations, such as integrity, transparency, and clean hands that must precede other requirements related to knowledge, experience, and administrative competence. I believe that the maneuvers, alliances, and deceptions that political action may involve must stop when they reach the level of harming the higher national interest.” He continues: “Despite my knowledge of the corridors of Lebanese politics, which I accumulated over the years of experience in public work, I was shocked by the performance of these forces that surpassed all national ceilings and proscriptions for the sake of partisan interests.” Asked by the journalist about more details, Salam says: “The Aounists in particular crossed all boundaries and used all means to reach their political goal that is General Michel Aoun assuming the presidency; even if this led to obstructing the state affairs at the expense of the citizens’ interests.”

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon is heading toward more “chaos and poverty” if a government is not formed within the next few hours, a lawmaker has warned, with the end of this week marking 13 months since the resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s administration. Diab stepped down in the wake of the Aug. 4 port blast that devastated the capital, but he has stayed on in a caretaker capacity. Three prime ministers have been designated to form a government. None have succeeded including, so far, the most recent appointee Najib Mikati.

The political uncertainty takes place amid a worsening social and economic crisis, and with a substantial proportion of the population unable to provide for themselves. Calls and mediation from within Lebanon and abroad show no solution for the complications involved in assembling a government. President Michel Aoun’s term ends in October next year, while parliament’s term ends next May. Vice president of the Future Movement, Mustafa Alloush, told Arab News: “Unless a government is formed in the next hours, Lebanon is heading toward more chaos and poverty. There will be no parliamentary elections or state, only (the) drawing of new sectarian maps that are independent of each other.” He noted that attempts to form a government had been ongoing for more than a year and were going toward a government that was independent of political powers. He added, however: “Today we have resorted again to forming a government of the same kind of governments that destroyed all the experience of executive power.”

by AFP — During the past months, hundreds of Lebanese have flown the 200 kilometers separating their country and the island of Cyprus to settle there, albeit temporarily, to escape the crisis in Lebanon, where electricity is cut off, fuel and medicine are scarce, and the hopes for the future are dim. After an eagerly awaited flight, Nanour Abashian, 30, with her husband and two children, exited Larnaca Airport from Beirut, dragging seven bags, most of them large. “My pain is very great because I left my country and my family, but I am forced to do so, because I want to raise my children with honor and dignity and ensure their future,” she told AFP.

Lebanon has been witnessing a severe economic crisis for nearly two years, which the World Bank has ranked among the worst in the world since 1850. The Lebanese are unable to withdraw their money from banks due to restrictions resulting from the lack of liquidity, and the deterioration of the exchange rate of the Lebanese pound by more than ninety percent. Many have also lost their jobs. At the same time, electricity is cut off most of the day and night, and there is no diesel in the market to run generators. The country is also witnessing crises of medicine, bread and other basic items. Thousands of Lebanese left the country in the wake of the crisis.

Many of them chose Cyprus, though Agence France-Presse was not able to obtain their exact number, because there is no official census yet, and some entered with non-Lebanese passports. However, the Lebanese ambassador to Cyprus, Claude Al-Hajal, confirmed to AFP that since October 2019, with the outbreak of popular protests in Lebanon against the political class, “we noticed a significant increase in the number of family files opened at the embassy, and we recorded the largest increase after the August 4 explosion.”

by New Arab Staff — US senators who visited Lebanon’s capital Beirut this week warned of potential sanction violations if the country receives fuel from Iran, as Lebanon continues to suffer from a devastating energy crisis. The four Democratic senators said that accepting supplies from Iran could have “severely damaging consequences”. Three Iranian fuel tankers are set for Lebanon reported by TankerTrackers.com, an oil export tracker. The deal between Iran and Lebanon is deemed controversial and was organised last month by Hezbollah, a powerful political force in Lebanon and a US-designated terrorist group. Although Raymond Ghajar, Lebanese Energy Minister told Reuters on Wednesday that the government had not received a request for permission from Hezbollah to import fuel. “We do not have information. Permission was not requested from us. This is all I am saying,” Ghajar said.

The US said it is in talks with the World Bank, Egypt and Jordan to form a solution to Lebanon’s energy crisis and possibly transit electricity through the Syrian grid, which Ghajar’s administration confirmed was a plan in motion. Concerns made from the US have sparked the United Nations to allocate $10 million in humanitarian aid to enable Lebanon to purchase urgent fuel to power hospitals and water stations. Martin Griffiths, UN humanitarian chief tweeted on Wednesday during a visit to Beirut: “Lebanon faces profound uncertainty. The humanitarian community, though, is resolved to assist all vulnerable populations, whether Lebanese, refugees or migrants.” Reuters reported on Thursday that the first Iranian fuel oil cargo will be delivered via Syria by truck to avoid complications related to sanctions, according to sources with knowledge on the matter. “Choosing to receive the vessel via Syria is not related to any fear of targeting by Israel or the US but is due to internal considerations related to not wanting to implicate any allies,” a source told Reuters.

من كتاب الدولة المستضعفة في نداء الوطن يوم الجمعة:
ففي يوم تشييع شطح، خرج سليمان بخطاب متلفز يعلن فيه أنّ خادم الحرمين الشريفين الملك عبد الله بن عبد العزيز قرّر تقديم هبة إلى لبنان بقيمة ثلاثة مليارات دولار لشراء سلاح فرنسي بهدف دعم الجيش وجميع القوى والأجهزة الأمنية.

على الفور، اعتبرت قوى الثامن من آذار هذه الخطوة قراراً بتفجير البلاد. وقالت عبر إعلامها إنّ هذه المساعدة هي “أمر بالفتنة” ورشوة تقدمها السعودية مشروطة بتأليف حكومة أمر واقع لعزل “حزب الله” وفتح معركة معه في لبنان

by AFP — Harsh fuel shortages and power cuts inflicted by Lebanon’s economic collapse have paralysed businesses such as restaurants, shops and industry as well as vital services like hospitals. Now Beirut hopes to strike a deal to import gas from Egypt and electricity from Jordan using Syrian infrastructure — with Washington’s blessing despite US sanctions against the Damascus regime. Syria is “ready” to help Lebanon with “transit for Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity via Syrian territory,” senior official Nasri Khouri told reporters, after the delegation led by interim deputy prime minister Zeina Akar met Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad and Oil Minister Bassam Tomeh. “The parties agreed to set up a joint team to track technical details” of the plan, added Khouri, who is secretary-general of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council.

Lebanon’s energy minister, Raymond Ghajar, said a meeting would be held next week in Jordan with representatives from Beirut, Amman, Damascus and Cairo to discuss technical and financial issues and to decide on a work plan and timetable. Work will be needed to get Syria’s war-ravaged infrastructure up to the task of moving the energy. Meanwhile Lebanon’s presidency has previously spoken of US-led talks with the World Bank to finance its imports. US-Iran rivalry Lebanon has maintained diplomatic ties with Syria but it adopted a policy of dissociation from the conflict since it started in 2011, putting a dampener on official dealings.

thenationalnews.com — Lebanon’s economic collapse is driving criminality, with armed disputes taking an increasingly sectarian tone and sparking fears of civil strife, experts and politicians have told The National. Sectarian tensions have always existed in Lebanon, ravaged by 15 years of civil war until 1990, but such incidents have multiplied in the past months in a country awash with weapons. The latest sectarian flare-up happened in Maghdoushe, south Lebanon, where desperate people fought over scarce fuel last week. The violence exposed the fragility of civic peace that rests upon sect-based political alliances. Maghdoushe holds special significance to Christians because the village is home to a cave where the virgin Mary allegedly spent a night waiting for Jesus to return from the nearby city of Sidon. A large bronze statue of the virgin Mary, mounted on top of a 34-metre tower, watches over the small village, nestled in the foothills of south Lebanon. “We have been living here for hundreds of years, nothing like this has ever happened before,” Raif Younan, who heads Maghdoushe’s municipality said over the phone. “We need calm, no one wants a war here,” he said, adding that the situation was now under control.

Sect leaders and local representatives have, in many cases, worked to de-escalate the violence, yet such incidents are expected to increase as people fight over scarce resources. The violence started when villagers from the Shiite town of Anqoun, desperate for fuel, tried to force a petrol station in Maghdoushe to open on Friday. The clashes left six people injured, thrusting the village into the public eye. ‘A declaration of war’: tensions in Lebanon’s Khalde after Hezbollah clashes Fuel fight escalates into sectarian clashes in south Lebanon Lebanon: Four killed in vendetta clashes between Hezbollah and local clan In retaliation, men from Anquon, a stronghold for the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement, vandalised cars and a small icon on Sunday. An image of broken glass surrounding a small figure of the virgin Mary went viral on social media, with many users on Twitter reacting to the incident by using inflammatory sectarian rhetoric.