Mazen Hajjar launched his first beer under gunfire, entered a Lebanese market dominated by one player and had a unique approach to management. And now? He’s head of a thriving beer company with ambitions to conquer the…
International architecture firms and boutique hotel chains are the latest to catch on that Beirut is the friendliest, most vibrant and ever-changing city in the Middle East. We also profile four more metropolises whose…
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…
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…
Some live in danger and need armoured protection. Some deal with deep poverty and ongoing provincial wars. Others have ‘noodle’ meetings, tend to high society and take power naps and weekly fasts. from Nagasaki to washin…
Iraq tries to lure tourists with its unique attractions, including the option of a romantic night in Saddam Hussein’s palace. In Lebanon, a Jewish landmark gets restored and in Botswana, the presidential elections get under…
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…
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 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…
While in Dubai for the UAE’s first Arab Women Leadership Forum, 34-year-old TV-show host Muna Abu Sulayman met with Monocle for her ‘last meal’. The Saudi citizen chose Saladicious, a restaurant in the Jumeirah district.
Syria is moving away from the staunch socialist principles that dominated the country for decades. President Bashar al Assad has created a new merchant class and forged business links with neighbour Turkey. Nowhere has…
Two years after the war with Israel, another battle was raging in Lebanon among its own people. But as the bullets flew, there was still time for mojitos – the Lebanese are used to surviving crises. Our correspondent…
Beirut’s Christian quarter of Ashrafieh has weathered civil war, terrorist assassinations and the recent Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. But today,
the hill-top neighbourhood is once again under threat, this time from devel…
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.
