MAY 2014
EDITORIAL
LEADERS
Fix it and they will come
Lebanon’s tourism sector needs security, not fancy plans
Executive Editors
COVER STORY: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
A president for Lebanon’s economy
Poll reveals the voice of the people
Thomas Schellen and Joe Dyke and Benjamin Redd
The contenders
Executive profiles eight potential candidates for president in 2014
Domhnall Osullivan
A beginner’s guide to Lebanon’s presidential election
Understanding how the country will select its new leader
Domhnall Osullivan
SPECIAL REPORT: HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
The ghosts of seasons yet to come
Lebanon’s tourism sector hangs between glorified past and uncertain future
Thomas Schellen
Have a little faith
Minister of Tourism Michel Pharaon says the country is safe for visitors
Thomas Schellen and Joe Dyke
Plans for this summer’s festivals
Organizers of Lebanon’s music festivals stubbornly persevere
Nabila Rahhal
Exporting Lebanese nightlife
With the hospitality sector at home stalled, some find opportunities abroad
Nabila Rahhal
Reviving Badaro
So long Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael, it’s time to revisit an old favorite
Nabila Rahhal
Masters of crisis management
The hospitality and tourism industry rides a financial storm
Livia Murray
Travel Apps: Potential to take flight
Lebanon is trailing behind in user friendly travel and tourism apps
Jasmina Najjar
ECONOMICS & POLICY
Decentralization – the best way to tackle corruption?
Giving local government more power to help prevent Lebanon’s vice
Domhnall Osullivan
Polio: Steering Lebanon away from the brink
Rise of polio cases in Syria is threatening neighbors
Joe Dyke
REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT
Solidere shifts from rents to sales in search for profits
General Manager Mounir Douaidy offers an overview of 2013 performance
Thomas Schellen
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
From Beirut to Shenzhen
Lebanese creators of Roadie Tuner use Chinese know-how to launch production
Livia Murray
COMPANIES & STRATEGIES
Meeting the Big Data challenge
Time to grasp the opportunity to improve corporate performance
Bahjat El Darwiche and Walid Tohme
HOSPITALITY & RETAIL
Painting oppression from Aleppo
Saad Yagan’s pieces hung at Beirut’s Mark Hachem gallery
Maya Sioufi
BUSINESS ESSENTIALS
LAST WORD
