Al Rifai - the 'Rolls-Royce of nut companies' - is famous throughout the Middle East for its perfectly roasted pistachios and giant cashews. Now the Lebanese company has opened a Swedish HQ as it attempts to break into the…
Lebanese retiree Edgard Chaya got into the tile-making trade by chance, after stumbling upon a suitcase belonging to a great uncle. Inside, Chaya discovered a set of curious metal shapes and moulds – castings to make tra…
For his ‘last meal’, food wouldn’t be the prime consideration for the head of the world-famous Château Musar vineyard, Serge Hochar. He would choose a special vintage white from his winery in Lebanon and enjoy it with some…
Our new series, national icons, is about people who rise above politics to become symbols of a country’s strengths. First we meet May Arida who has kept Lebanon’s Baalbek festival alive despite wars and threats. She also…
Friday 7 January
While Abu Dhabi’s most famous hotel put up an extravagant Christmas tree worth millions of dollars during the holiday period – demonstrating a certain degree of religious openness, many Orthodox Christians and Copts who…
On 7 June, Lebanon holds the most hotly contested general election in its history. But this time the fiercest fights are not on the streets but in the media. We meet the key players from Hezbollah to the westward-looking…
Kamal Mouzawak, chef, writer and founder of the Souk El Tayeb farmers’ market, has made it his life’s mission to celebrate the regional produce and cuisine of Lebanon. As he prepares a feast for friends in his Batroun…
Thursday 13 January
As Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and President Barack Obama were smiling in front of the cameras at the White House, back in Beirut the fragile Lebanese unity government collapsed yesterday with the dramatic resign…
Over the last few years, boutiques, architectural practices, bars and an arts centre have been set up in this Armenian neighbourhood but for many residents, old and new, the charm of Mar Mikhael lies in its authenticity and…
Despite being targeted by a bomb attack in which she lost an arm and leg, political TV journalist May Chidiac, a staunch critic of Syria, remains defiant and is back presenting for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.
Tuesday 15 December
For years, Beirut has been dealing – and not always through choice – with most of the issues at stake in our modern societies, from political and economic crises, to religious cohabitation, to issues of heritage and nation…
A postcard from Mauritania, which has just had its fifth coup since the 1970s; the rise of Lebanon's Green Party and boar-hunting, Algerian style.
Wednesday 26 January
Despite the predictions of most political analysts, the appointment of a new Lebanese prime minister took very little time. Following the fall of Saad Hariri’s coalition government two weeks ago, a new prime minister was…
Thursday 9 December
It took the death of 17-year-old Talal Kassem, a prominent Lebanese banker’s grandson run over by a speeding car on his way to school, to get the Lebanese to demand more safety on their notoriously dangerous roads.
Monday 21 September
This week all across the Middle East people are celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan with the Eid al-Fitr holidays. Lebanon is no different.
Friday 5 February
Spurred on by the Lebanese government’s promise to cut carbon emissions and start using renewable energy, the Danish embassy in Beirut decided to introduce some much needed green thinking to the land of Cedars.
Everyone, it seems. From the shopping aisles of one of Europe’s most respected grocery store chains to the meadows of piedmont to the Souk el Tayeb farmers’ market in Beirut, Farmers and their four-legged friends are the…
Our column from Pretoria looks at how South Africa is manoeuvering itself into a world-power position. Plus elections in Seychelles, educating ultra-orthodox children in Israel and demanding change in Lebanon.
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