Cigar smoking days in Lebanon may be numbered with a proposed law that seeks to ban it in public places.
Cigar smoking days in Lebanon may be numbered with a proposed law that seeks to ban it in public places.

In Beirut, something for the weekend that really smokes



My barber does a lucrative sideline in cigars. He's got to really, as he wouldn't make any money otherwise. He spends half his day dozing on his ancient swivel chair, sleeping off the side effects of his medication, while the flow of people who want a haircut has slowed to a trickle. When you can get him to cut your hair, the process is often interrupted by the appearance of paunchy middle-aged men in leisure wear, who furtively pop in to buy a few cut-price tall panatellas.

It is at this point that the clippers are carefully put down next to the basin, and the buyer is escorted into a back room to examine the latest stock. "No robustos then? OK, I'll take the double coronas. The best, you say? OK, done. See you next week." Buyer hurries out and my barber returns, clears his throat and carries on where he left off. I consider it rude to inquire where he gets his supply, and like to think that he in turn appreciates my discretion. For US$4 (Dh14.60), it is great theatre.

Cigars, and the notion of sophistication that follows their blue, pungent haze, could have been made for the shamelessly ostentatious and image-conscious Lebanese. I do not have the figures to hand but we are among the heaviest, if not the heaviest, smokers per capita in the world. (The Cypriots claim to smoke a lot, but I have never noticed it.) Riad Salameh, the governor of the Lebanese central bank, is a famous puffer, the prime minister Saad Hariri is also known to partake.

The list of high-profile Lebanese who spark up is endless and the message simple: the rest of the world might have moved on from such unhealthy and anti-social decadence, but in Lebanon a cigar still conveys power, sophistication and affluence. It helps that Lebanon is a great place to smoke, because, like most of Lebanese life, there are no boundaries. Cigar smokers will often puff away throughout dinner at restaurants without caring a jot for their fellow diners. It is also not uncommon to see them in action pushing a trolley in the supermarket.

But these halcyon days may be numbered with a proposed item of legislation that seeks to ban smoking in public places, and which is currently under debate. If passed, one wonders how successfully it will be enforced, and what impact, negative or otherwise, it will have on Lebanon's $3 billion tourist industry, especially the shisha cafes that are hugely popular with chilled-out Gulf nationals. By and large, the Lebanese are cheerfully indifferent to laws that promote social niceties.

True, there is very little violence, while armed robbery is virtually unheard of. But those rules and regulations that curb what the Lebanese see as their self-expression - driving, smoking, standing in line and parking and so on - are rarely tolerated. That said, we are beginning to come to grips with traffic lights, and even the new parking meters, a joint venture between the government and the private sector, are catching on.

Cynics like me, who scoffed upon hearing of a smoking ban, were reminded by earnest anti-smoking advocates of a similar edict in Gaza that has been in place since December 15. Quite how successful this ban has been is still unclear, as one would have felt the long-term effects of tobacco inhalation would not be a priority in a city that is constantly levelled by the Israeli air force. Still, good on Hamas for trying.

Staying with health concerns, if you believe World Health Organisation statistics, the Lebanese are on average more likely to die from smoking related illnesses (3,000 per year) than from road accidents (600 per year). I am not convinced and I defy anyone, especially those who have gone toe-to-toe with the grim reaper on Lebanon's apocalyptic road network, to tell me that implementing a smoking ban is more urgent than tightening up traffic laws.

More to the point, for a country that places so much emphasis on tourism, it does not appear to care what visitors to Lebanon think of its roads, the cars on them and people who drive them. The argument for dropping import duties on new cars - Lebanese dealers pay prohibitive import tax and 10 per cent value added tax - to spur consumption is one that has been long running. Lebanon's cartel importers argue that cutting duty will see a marked increase in the 20,000 new vehicles sold each year in Lebanon.

The state, they argue, would see revenue levels remain as a result of the increased volume in sales, while the Lebanese would drive newer, safer and environmentally friendlier cars. Such a move would also be good for Lebanon's image. One only has to travel to Cyprus and compare the spanking new Mercedes that wait at Larnaca Airport with the ageing jalopies that cruise for fares at Beirut to see the car importers may have a point.

But then, do we really need any new cars? When all Beirut's new high-rise residential developments are built, the extra traffic they will generate - 1,000 more cars in my square km of Ashrafieh alone - will see the city descend into environmental meltdown. Not only will there be more emissions, the new tower blocks up along the seafront will block the sea breezes that traditionally dissipate the smog.

When faced with this scenario, it hardly matters who smokes what where? At least, that's what my barber would tell you. "A nice robusto for the weekend, sir? Just got them in this morning." Michael Karam is a PR and media consultant based in Beirut

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe. 

"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.

Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.

"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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What is the definition of an SME?

SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

Kanye%20West
%3Cp%3EYe%20%E2%80%94%20the%20rapper%20formerly%20known%20as%20Kanye%20West%20%E2%80%94%20has%20seen%20his%20net%20worth%20fall%20to%20%24400%20million%20in%20recent%20weeks.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20precipitous%20drop%20from%20Bloomberg%E2%80%99s%20estimates%20of%20%246.8%20billion%20at%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3Cbr%3EYe%E2%80%99s%20wealth%20plunged%20after%20business%20partners%2C%20including%20Adidas%2C%20severed%20ties%20with%20him%20on%20the%20back%20of%20anti-Semitic%20remarks%20earlier%20this%20year.%3Cbr%3EWest%E2%80%99s%20present%20net%20worth%20derives%20from%20cash%2C%20his%20music%2C%20real%20estate%20and%20a%20stake%20in%20former%20wife%20Kim%20Kardashian%E2%80%99s%20shapewear%20firm%2C%20Skims.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

HOW%20TO%20ACTIVATE%20THE%20GEMINI%20SHORTCUT%20ON%20CHROME%20CANARY
%3Cp%3E1.%20Go%20to%20%3Cstrong%3Echrome%3A%2F%2Fflags%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20Find%20and%20enable%20%3Cstrong%3EExpansion%20pack%20for%20the%20Site%20Search%20starter%20pack%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Restart%20Chrome%20Canary%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Go%20to%20%3Cstrong%3Echrome%3A%2F%2Fsettings%2FsearchEngines%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20in%20the%20address%20bar%20and%20find%20the%20%3Cstrong%3EChat%20with%20Gemini%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20shortcut%20under%20%3Cstrong%3ESite%20Search%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.%20Open%20a%20new%20tab%20and%20type%20%40%20to%20see%20the%20Chat%20with%20Gemini%20shortcut%20along%20with%20other%20Omnibox%20shortcuts%20to%20search%20tabs%2C%20history%20and%20bookmarks%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

The biog:

Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian 

Favourite food: Pizza 

Best food on the road: rice

Favourite colour: silver 

Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda

Favourite biking destination: Canada 

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Director: Peyton Reed

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Three stars

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

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