The celebration of Eid el-Fitr on June 16 marked the beginning of summer 2018 in Lebanon. As the season kicks off, all those in the tourism industry are speculating over whether it will be as good a season as summer 2017, or whether tourism will take a turn back to the bleak summer days of…
A dynamic heart
Executive sat down with Mounir Douaidy, board member and general manager of Solidere, to discuss progress in the company’s master plan for Beirut Central District (BCD), and how the planned developments could contribute to the revitalization of BCD as a tourist destination that encompasses the essential pillars of hospitality, retail, and cultural activities. E …
A Beirut spring
The telltale signs that herald spring in Lebanon are already in full swing: the longer days, the blossoming streetside flowers and trees, and the mounds of janarek (sour plums), freize (strawberries), and akidinya (loquats) at roadside fruit stalls have all made their early appearance this year. This is in addition to the most indicative—and sad—sign…
Say (goat) cheese
Goat dairy production has a long history in our part of the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that goats were the first dairy animals to be domesticated, sometime between 9,000 and 8,000 BC in what is today Iraq and Iran. Goat milk was also mentioned in the Bible, with the prophet Abraham owning herds of goats,…
A community effort
Executive sat down with the country’s first-ever minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Oghassabian. The ministry was launched one year ago with a mandate to empower and protect women and promote and develop gender equality in Lebanon. E This is the first term for you as minister of women’s affairs and, in fact,…
The countdown to political progress
This year will see some economic actors sitting in the sun. It does not require special astrological powers to predict that the first half of 2018 will be good for the bottom lines of local advertising companies, social media platforms, billboard operators, pollsters, and audiovisual companies. Driving down any urban highway or country road and…
Moving into a new world of parliamentary participation
At the end of February 2018, German women did it again. Chancellor Angela Merkel—supposedly the most powerful woman in the world, if one believes Forbes—won her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party’s election overwhelmingly to form a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which had been hotly debated at the party and national level…
Cheers for the beers
Compared to the ancient history of beer in the Middle East, Lebanon’s small craft breweries are extremely new on the scene. The earliest evidence of beer brewing was found in Mesopotamia some 6,000 years ago, while the world’s oldest brewery, which was located in Egypt, dates to around 3400 BC. Beer eventually made it to…
In high spirits
Behind that flute of prosecco or gin-based cocktail enjoyed at a bar after a long day—or even the single malt whisky or bottle of wine recommended by a premium specialty liquor boutique—there is an intricate distribution chain. Executive sat down with Lebanon’s major spirit importers and brand owners to discuss the Lebanese drinks of choice…
Black clouds in the retail sky
Executive sat with Nicolas Chammas, chairman of the Beirut Traders’ Association, to discuss the retail sector’s performance in 2017, in light of continuous market stagnation in Lebanon. E As of mid-November, how has 2017 been for the trade sector in Lebanon? This year has, unfortunately, been another bad year. The decline in the commercial…