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L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Army to present disarmament plan on Sept. 2, according to Minister Tamara al-Zein
The Lebanese Army will present its plan to bring Hezbollah's weapons back under state monopoly at a government meeting scheduled for Sept. 2, Environment Minister Tamara al-Zein told al-Jadeed ahead of the Cabinet session that convened Thursday in the mid-afternoon at the Grand Serail. She added that 'no one knows the content of this plan.' The government entrusted this task to the army a week ago in a Cabinet decision, which was described as 'historic' by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and criticized by Iran. The decision aligns with the American proposal to disarm Hezbollah and push Israel to withdraw from the sites it occupies in southern Lebanon, cementing the cease-fire reached last November. Supporters of Hezbollah have protested for several days in a row against this decision. Zein was among the Shiite ministers who left the two meetings dedicated to restoring the state's monopoly on arms. During her interview with al-Jadeed, the minister said, 'They should have taken their time before holding the two Cabinet sessions [on the weapons issue] in order to reach a consensus among the parties,' adding that 'discussing the document of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack amounts to an act of submission.' She also stated that 'there was a tacit agreement to postpone the adoption of the item on the exclusivity of weapons, but this commitment was not upheld.' 'The details of Barrack's document are worrisome; every point contains a 'trap,' and the Lebanese Army is carefully considering the plan and will discuss it with the Parliament speaker and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam,' she added. Zein also said that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri 'will try until the last moment to prevent Lebanon from slipping into confrontation or tensions,' adding that 'it is totally out of the question for an internal Lebanese conflict to break out.' Berri, head of the Amal movement and an ally of Hezbollah, has ruled out any government resignation but also criticized those who objected to Wednesday's visit to Beirut by the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, stressing that Hezbollah remained a 'major component' of the country.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Lebanese eurobonds rally extends following state arms monopoly decision
BEIRUT — Lebanon's eurobonds — the country's dollar-denominated debt securities — surged 11 percent over the past week, closing at 19.75 cents on the dollar Wednesday, their highest level in two years. The rally followed the government's historic decision to enforce a state monopoly on arms, said Saeb al-Zein, former hedge fund manager and emerging markets financial analyst. The country's battered bonds have been rising since late September 2024, coinciding with the escalation of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict into a full-blown war. At the time, their value jumped from 6.2 cents to current levels. Investors had been betting on Hezbollah's weakening and an improved economic outlook following the Nov. 27 cease-fire, which ended the year-long cross-border fire exchange. 'A similar rally took place when the Assad regime fell in December,' said Zein. 'This current surge is also politically driven, as investors anticipate greater state control over its own destiny.' 'Investors typically look three to six months ahead, so they're still betting on Lebanon as a country,' he added. 'With improved security, we could see more investors coming in and more capital inflows.' 'If we can get our house in order politically, I'm confident the economy will follow, driven by a thriving private sector,' he said. Lebanon defaulted on its sovereign debt in March 2020 for the first time in its history. A restructuring agreement with eurobond holders has yet to be negotiated. In December 2024, Goldman Sachs forecasted the recovery value of these debt securities to average 24.6 cents on the dollar in a 'base-case restructuring' scenario — the outcome it deemed most likely. However, 'the actual recovery value will hinge on how the Parliament advances in addressing the gap resolution law, IMF negotiations and the fund's level of involvement,' Zein noted.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Reimagining leather, maps and the streets: Where to be this weekend in the Middle East
If you're tired of your days growing longer and hotter as your diaspora cousins overstay their welcome, this week, we're counting down the best air-conditioned events — perfect for a solo date or your favorite art aficionado — that you won't want to miss. Every Thursday, L'Orient Today, in partnership with The MYM Agenda, guides you through happenings across the Middle East that are actually worth your time. Consider this your weekly shortcut to what matters in the region's buzzing cultural scene. This week, Dar el-Nimr in Beirut is turning Christian iconography into a bright and grandiose exhibition that you won't get to recreate in your local churches. As the Ottoman era was coming to an end, Palestine became home to Greek and Russian iconographers, enriched by the hands of local artisans. If you, like most Lebanese, are jealous of your grandparents' trips to Jerusalem in the '60s and the religious souvenirs they hang on to, you can now live vicariously through them when you visit "On Earth as it is in Heaven." Wander among large-scale maps and souvenirs that pilgrims — like your grandfather — carried back. If you hang around Beirut art spaces and smoking sections, you'll know the scene is buzzing with talks about multimedia artist Vartan Avakian's latest exhibition at Marfa' gallery. The Armenian artist starts from his point 0 — his family's handwritten notebook on Armenian traditions that they safeguarded when fleeing the genocide. Using hand-drawn maps, painted canvases and specks of gold, the exhibition, aptly named 'A Curse that Turns Gold into Ladybugs,' traces the long-term effects of genocide on a community, especially in a context where alarms are sounding on Israel's brutal war on Palestinians in Gaza. Be one of the first people to meet 'Leukeather' — the sustainable leather alternative developed by artist Nuhayr Zein from discarded White Popinactree seed pods in the UAE. Sharjah's 1971 – Design Space invites you to explore the research, process and artistry behind the invention, alongside a selection of Zein's earlier works. At its heart stands Sara'ir, a cabinet that ties Zein's Egyptian heritage and Emirati upbringing in Al Ain to a broader cultural memory. Inspired by the traditional Egyptian Neesh (النيش), she attempts to use a familiar household fixture for personal narrative and material innovation. "No Trespassing" at Ishara Art Foundation, in Al Quoz, tackles the complicated aesthetics of the streets through the lens of six UAE-based and South Asian multimedia artists, engaging with it as both subject and medium. Rather than attempting to define the street, the exhibition underlines its resistance to definition. The streets are a setting, an area in your city, a public space that we often make our own through signposts, building materials, pavements, lights and street art. We blend the private and the public every time we step outside, and the exhibition tries to retrace pedestrians' footsteps, showcasing how streets are constantly being shaped by those who pass through them. If you're a nerd for Egyptian contemporary art, dive into " Echoes and Currents: 35 Years of Contemporary Art" at Mashrabia Gallery in Cairo. The iconic gallery is hosting artworks from established and emerging artists, and re-welcoming some old friends, as an open, evolving archive of art, memory and conversations. For more information, click here. Still buzzing from its critical acclaim when it premiered at ACP-Palazzo Franchetti in Venice in 2024, " Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices," now lands at M7 in Doha. The exhibition — more so an experience — features works by more than 40 filmmakers and artists from the Arab world, Africa and Southeast Asia, and takes you on a transnational trip through each community's stories of exile and survival, weighing the pros and cons of displacement and solidarity. Bahrain National Museum is dedicating the entire month of August to future culture makers and trendsetters. Each week, it's hosting a series of workshops and activities for kids between the ages of 8 and 12 on Bahraini history, archaeology, arts and crafts and concluding with Treasures of Bahraini Heritage.
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-08-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Hezbollah to participate in Cabinet meeting on its disarmament, spokesperson says
BEIRUT — Hezbollah spokesperson Youssef Zein told L'Orient Today on Tuesday that the party's two ministers will attend this afternoon's Cabinet session at Baabda Presidential Palace, which will debate Hezbollah's disarmament. Hezbollah "is working to preserve Lebanon's interests. It is therefore willing to discuss the issue of its weapons within the limits of the inauguration speech of President Joseph Aoun and the ministerial statement of the Salam Cabinet," Zein stressed. However, he indicated that "any decision [by the Cabinet] that exceeds these two limits would lead to a reaction from Hezbollah's ministers," emphasizing that this could range from verbally opposing the Cabinet decision to withdrawing from the ministerial session. Zein ruled out the possibility of Hezbollah ministers leaving the government altogether. Nawaf Salam's government is expected to meet Tuesday afternoon at the Baabda Palace to discuss surrendering Hezbollah's arsenal. The party does not reject, in principle, the debate over the state's exclusive control of arms, but it makes any disarmament conditional on the prior withdrawal of the Israeli army from south Lebanon, the cessation of cease-fire violations, the release of prisoners, and the initiation of reconstruction efforts following the recent war. In a video published Monday night, Hezbollah stated that resistance was "the only choice and support for the Lebanese Army." Political contacts continued into Monday night in order to reach a formula that the government could adopt on Tuesday. Protesting against the Cabinet meeting, Hezbollah supporters staged motorcycle rallies Monday night in several districts of Beirut's southern suburbs. Videos posted on social media show dozens of motorcyclists waving the party's yellow flags as they rode through areas of the southern suburbs, chanting 'Labayka Nasrallah' (at your command, Nasrallah), referring to the former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated in an Israeli strike on Sept.27, 2024.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Designer Elie Saab dressed daughter in law in not 1 but 4 stunning gowns for big, fat Arab wedding in Lebanon: Pics
Elie Saab is one of the most famous names in the world of bridal couture. So, when his son, Celio Saab, married Zein Qutami in a dreamy wedding with a 10-tier cake and high-profile guests in Lebanon, it was no surprise that the renowned Lebanese designer created the most exquisite bridal ensembles for his new daughter-in-law. In fact, Zein wore not one, not two, but four stunning custom-made gowns designed by her father-in-law, Elie Saab. Also read | From puff sleeves to sustainable designs: Top 5 bridal fashion trends Celio Saab, the son of renowned Lebanese designer Elie Saab, married Zein Qutami, a Jordanian-Palestinian influencer, in a star-studded ceremony at Lebanon's historic Bkerki Church. (Instagram/ Zein Qutami) Several celebrities, including Nancy Ajram, Nadine Nassib Njeim, and Elissa, reportedly attended the wedding celebration. According to Harper's Bazaar Arabia's July 19 report, Zein and Celio married a day earlier – they exchanged vows against the backdrop of the Church of Bkerke. During Celio and Zein's star-studded wedding weekend, Elie Saab's designs showcased his signature style, blending elegance and sophistication while highlighting Zein's charm. Each look was meticulously crafted with attention to detail, featuring intricate embroidery, sequins, and beading. Everything Elie Saab's new daughter-in-law wore Zein Qutami, a Jordanian-Palestinian influencer, wore an aqua-coloured Elie Saab gown for her after-party following her wedding to Celio Saab. This was one of four custom-designed dresses she wore throughout her wedding festivities, which included an ivory wedding gown, a pre-wedding dress, and a gold ball gown. Here's a close look at the other 3 gowns worn by Elie Saab's new daughter-in-law: A floor-length, long-sleeved gown with intricate silver embroidery and embellishments, paired with a cathedral-length veil and matching headpiece for the religious ceremony. A champagne-toned gown with a deep V-neckline and vertical metallic embroidery, featuring a dramatic overskirt and long matching veil for the wedding celebration. A rose sand gown with a flowing cape for the pre-wedding welcome dinner, perfectly harmonising with the natural surroundings. The bride opens up about her wedding dresses Zein told Harper's Bazaar Arabia, 'The ceremony gown was designed to reflect the romance of the moment while also being mindful of the setting of a religious wedding, which naturally comes with a sense of formality, while the second was bolder, more radiant; both expressing his vision in their own way.' About her party dress, she added, 'This was the dress that felt most like 'me'; the kind of silhouette and style that I naturally gravitate towards. Since the reception allowed for more freedom compared to the ceremony, I was able to express myself more fully. It had the feel of an evening gown, but elevated and exaggerated in just the right way for a wedding, with the dramatic train adding that final touch.'
