Bridging the Gulf

Rafik Hariri’s catalogue of virtues was much trumpeted in the wake of his killing, but his most potent skill lay in his ability to initiate dialogue with key economic agents in the region. As The Independent’s Robert Fisk put it, he had become “Mr. Lebanon”, an oversized and overqualified salesman for Lebanon’s reconstruction. The relevance of Hariri and his transformation from a mere mortal to an indispensable magnet to foreign investment will be clearer as the void his assassination is felt in the coming months. His function as a portal for many Western leaders and his ability to cajole them into accepting the new Lebanon cannot underestimated and his death will have a direct impact on the way Lebanon is perceived by the Gulf investment community. The Saudis in particular saw his presence, even outside government, as a safety valve of sorts. Hariri came from the Gulf, and derived a