Gulf countries to reportedly lift travel ban on Lebanon
After the UAE allowed its citizens to travel to Lebanon, the fellow countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are inclined to follow suit in the near future, Lebanon's Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday.
'Intensive meetings are being held with political and security officials, most notably the meeting that PM Nawaf Salam will hold today with the GCC ambassadors to explain the measures that the Lebanese state has taken at the airport, its vicinity and along the road leading to it with the aim of reassuring these countries before they take the ban lifting decisions,' the daily quoted a 'highly informed source' as saying.
'Subsequent meetings will be held between a number of ambassadors and senior security officials to discuss the taken measures and remove any legal and security obstacles,' the source added.
Emirati citizens will be able to visit Lebanon as of May 7 after a ban imposed during a diplomatic row in 2021 was lifted, the official WAM news agency has reported.
The Emirati announcement came after President Joseph Aoun met with his UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, after which it was announced that the ban would be lifted.
In 2021, the United Arab Emirates imposed the travel ban and withdrew diplomats from Beirut in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, after a Lebanese minister criticized the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen.
Lebanese citizens were not banned from traveling to the UAE, although some experienced difficulties obtaining visas.
Ties between Beirut and Abu Dhabi had soured in the past decade over Hezbollah's influence on Lebanon.
But with the group weakened by its recent war with Israel, the UAE is the latest Gulf country to renew its interest in Lebanon.
In March, Saudi Arabia said it would review "obstacles" to resuming Lebanese imports and ending a ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
US, Jordan offer Syria support in upholding Sweida cease-fire
AMMAN — Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers and a U.S. envoy agreed on Tuesday to form a working group to help Damascus uphold a cease-fire in Sweida province, rocked by recent sectarian clashes. In a joint statement issued after a meeting in Amman, Jordan and the United States said they "agreed to respond to the Syrian government's request to establish a trilateral working group [Syrian–Jordanian–American] to support the Syrian government's efforts to consolidate the cease-fire" in Sweida and "resolve the crisis" there. They also agreed to hold another meeting in the coming weeks. The Syrian foreign ministry said its top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani met with Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and US envoy for Syria Tom Barrack to discuss "ways of strengthening cooperation and coordination between the three sides" in order to serve Syria's stability, "sovereignty and regional security." Damascus said the sides had agreed to form a working group "to support the Syrian government's efforts to consolidate the cease-fire in Sweida province, and work to find a comprehensive solution to the crisis." The meeting on Tuesday was a continuation of discussions held between the officials in Amman on July 19 about deadly clashes in the Druze-majority Syrian province of Sweida, where a week of sectarian violence killed 1,400 people before a cease-fire put an end to the bloodshed. Syria's minority communities have expressed concerns for their safety since December, when an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, who had presented himself as a protector of minorities. While the new Syrian authorities have repeatedly stated their intent to protect all of the country's ethnic and religious groups, the killing of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians along the coast in March and the violence in Sweida have raised doubts about their ability to manage sectarian tensions. Barrack, in a post on X, described the talks on Tuesday as "productive", adding that the Syrian government had "pledged to utilize all resources to hold perpetrators of the Sweida atrocities accountable," using an alternative transliteration of the province's name. "Syria will fully cooperate with the U.N. to investigate these crimes, including the horrific violence at Sweida National Hospital," he added. Jordan's King Abdullah II separately met with Shaibani and Barrack, expressing his "support for Syria's efforts to preserve its security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," a royal statement said. It noted "the importance of Washington's role in supporting the reconstruction process in Syria in a manner that preserves the rights of all Syrians." The king also said Jordan was ready "to share its expertise in all fields to help develop and strengthen the capabilities of Syrian institutions" and "noted the need to step up Jordanian-Syrian cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and preventing arms and drug smuggling," the statement added. According to the Syrian statement, the foreign ministers' meeting welcomed Damascus's efforts to "restore basic services, hold perpetrators of violations to account, and prepare the conditions for the return of displaced people to their homes."
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun: 'Some are paid to destroy the country... These people are the antithesis of the state'
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun met with a delegation of youth from the Maronite Foundation in the World on Tuesday to discuss his efforts to establish trust between the state and Lebanese at home as well as the millions of Lebanese abroad, whom he has said on several occasions he is trying to convince to return to or invest in Lebanon. However, he also said during the meeting that "some are paid to destroy Lebanon," though he didn't specify who exactly he was criticizing. "These people are the antithesis of the state: if the state rises, they will disappear," he asserted, according to a statement released by the presidency on its official X account. The president and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are currently struggling to negotiate with Hezbollah over its arsenal, which Cabinet has decided to dismantle by the end of the year. However, this topic was reportedly not explicitly mentioned during the meeting. Aoun told the Maronite Foundation delegation that no one "enjoys immunity when it comes to the fight against corruption," insisting that "all taboos have collapsed on this subject and the decision has been made." Aoun also praised the role of the Lebanese diaspora around the world. "If you look at countries of emigration, from Brazil to Australia, including Africa, you rarely see a major project without a Lebanese imprint," he said. "If you look from 2019 until today, we have seen — and continue to see — how Lebanese people across the world mobilize with one voice to help their loved ones here. The figures speak for themselves in this regard." Lebanon's diaspora, which outnumbers its own residents, plays a significant role, supporting the economy through remittances sent to relatives back home. A stream of crises and conflicts have sent wave after wave of Lebanese abroad and the country suffers from the strain of losing much of its skilled workforce. "Lebanon needs you, just as you need it," Aoun said. "And it is our duty to give you back what you are owed." Many members of the diaspora no longer have access to their savings, which have been stuck in Lebanese banks since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2019. The diaspora is also the subject of a debate surrounding the electoral laws ahead of the 2026 legislative election. While some, including Hezbollah, want the creation of a district with six deputies for the diaspora, the opposing camp wants Lebanese abroad to continue voting in their home districts. Aoun, for his part, remains outside this debate. "Our goal is to get the state back on track," Aoun said. "Today, some positive indicators are beginning to appear, even though many steps remain to be taken to guarantee you a safe and stable environment that will make it easier for you to return to Lebanon and invest in the country."
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Haidar tells Berri all Shiite ministers will attend Wednesday's Cabinet meeting
BEIRUT — Following last week's walkout by all of Cabinet's Shiite ministers, Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday to assure him that all said ministers would be in attendance at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting. Ministers Tamara Elzein (Amal), Mohammad Haidar (Hezbollah), and Rakan Nassereddine (Hezbollah) followed by Shiite minister Fadi Makki (not affiliated with either party), walked out of Thursday's meeting during which Cabinet discussed a U.S. plan for Hezbollah's disarmament. Following their exit, Cabinet adopted the plan, a decision which the party immediately announced its categorical rejection of. Minister Yassine Jaber (Amal), who was not in attendance at the meeting, is the fifth minister who Haidar confirmed would be present on Wednesday, quelling any concern that the ministers would quit government over the issue. Haidar also updated Berri on his talks last week with the Iraqi government, telling him that Iraq would be send 50,000 tons of wheat by ship as part of a 300,000-ton wheat donation for Lebanon. Berri and Haidar also agreed steps would be taken to resolve the problems recently faced by Lebanese contractors in Iraq. Berri also reviewed the security situation with army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal. The army is expected to present a plan for the disarmament of militias to Cabinet before the end of August.
