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BEIRUT: Saudi tourism to Lebanon is tipped to increase after a boost in
diplomatic ties between the two nations. In a visit to Lebanon last
month by Thamer Al-Sabhan, Saudi minister for Arabian Gulf Affairs, the
diplomat told President Michel Aoun that Saudi Arabian Airlines would
increase its flights to Beirut. Lebanese-Saudi relations have been
troubled in recent years as a result of the Syrian crisis. The
Gulf countries earlier barred their citizens from traveling to Lebanon,
while Saudi Arabia last year suspended $3 billion in military aid
involving French arms to Lebanon. But President Aoun’s visit
to Riyadh at the beginning of the year paved the way for restoring warm
ties between the two nations, and Al-Sabhan’s visit to Beirut was
perceived as “a complementary effort comfortably received by the
Lebanese,” said Future Bloc MP Ammar Houri. “The Kingdom has always been keen to offer Lebanon help and support in all fields and arenas,” Houri said. “The
Lebanese state’s proven ability to control security and fight terrorism
combined with a warm welcome to our Saudi brothers constitutes
favorable conditions for the Saudi comeback to Lebanon,” he said.
The
head of the Lebanese Hotel Owners’ Association, Pierre Ashkar, has a
similar view. He perceives Al-Sabhan’s visit as another positive step
complementing President Aoun’s trip to the Kingdom. “The
Gulf people, especially the Saudis, represent the backbone of tourism in
Lebanon. Our country’s history is a witness to the importance of these
relations which date from the second half of the last century to the
present,” Ashkar said.
He thinks that further coordination
between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia will be a critical factor in improving
relations between them.
However, Ashkar doesn’t expect an immediate increase in the number of Saudi tourists. “Saudi
tourists have not been coming to Lebanon for the last three or four
years and they were previously in full swing for 365 days a year,”
Ashkar said. “Now we have to wait a while before things get back to
normal.”
“Some VIP Saudi tourists, though in small numbers,
have visited Lebanon after being absent for a long time. They found that
Lebanon was as welcoming as ever and the streets were not filled with
garbage as the media had suggested.”
Economic expert Dr.
Marwan Iskandar stressed that the visit by a Saudi minister indicated
that the Kingdom was returning to comfortable relations with Lebanon. “Saudi
trips to Lebanon are very significant, as there are many Saudis who
have properties in Lebanon and the country is, after all, a desirable
destination. And Lebanon suffered a great deal from the boycott by Arab
nations, specially the Gulf ones, as a result of the Syrian crisis,” he
said.
