Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, October/November 1997, Page 35

Letter from Lebanon

Lebanon Reborn: Hope Among the Headlines

By Marilyn Raschka

This summer, not only did Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz make a showing and splashy headlines in Lebanon, but so did the pope, a 15-person American delegation, the prime minister of Malaysia, the president of the World Bank, and British pop singer Shirley Bassey.

Each party brought a different kind of hope and message, with the biggest headlines dedicated to the visit of the Saudi crown prince and his 140-member delegation, who arrived at the end of June. Reporting this first such visit by such a high-ranking Saudi official since before the outbreak of Lebanon's civil war in 1975, Lebanon's English-language Daily Star headlined, "Saudi Prince's Visit Another Sign of Rebirth." Lebanese President Elias Hrawi called the visit further proof of the bright future ahead.

Any reader whose Lebanon experience dates to the mid-'60s and early '70s can conjure up images of Saudi princes, family entourages and robed officials taking in the cool mountain air in the towns of Aley and Bhamdoum. Hotels were filled to the brim with these and other vacationers from all of the Arab states of the Gulf who were in Lebanon to devote a month or two to the pursuit of happiness: shopping for the ladies, a varied night life for the gentlemen, and beaches and cinemas for all. Those were the days journalists fondly remember as "heady."

Spectators—Lebanese and Western residents alike—marveled at the flow of money that accompanied the flow of the robes. Much of Lebanon's private wealth back then sprang from the pockets of these visitors from the oil-producing states.

We all learned the standard joke that every pair of shoes had three prices: one for the Lebanese shopper, one for Americans, and one for Saudis. Ditto for everything else on the market. But the Saudis never seemed to mind. Lebanon was Lebanon, and whatever they paid for its pleasures was worth it.

Their good-naturedness worked its way into an "urban legend" about a rich Saudi who was sipping coffee at an outdoor caf’ in Aley, the mountain town that attracted more Saudis per square meter than anywhere else in the country. A beggar woman came up to the robed man and asked him for money. He took out his checkbook and wrote LL50, for 50 Lebanese lira. In the good old days of the tale that was about $16. As the check was written in Arabic numbers (not the ones we call Arabic numerals) it would have looked like this: LL 0., since 5 is written as a zero and zero as a period.

As the man was waiting for the ink to dry a fly alighted on the check and left two specks next to the one already there, making the amount LL 0...or LL 5,000—the equivalent of $1,600. The woman, poor in pocket but bright where it counts, raised her hands and said, "This is from Allah." The Saudi, amused and perhaps impressed with the intervention, handed the happy lady the "fly-revised" check.

Now the money that used to flow to Lebanon from private Saudi pockets comes from Saudi government coffers, and it's not the same game. Gone are the days of good-natured fleecing of the Saudis, and gone are the days when they let their largess be determined by the whim of a fly.

In fact, during the Saudi crown prince's visit the largess flowed from the Lebanese. A sumptuous banquet was arranged by Lebanese President Hrawi, then another hosted by Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Hariri, himself worth millions, got his start as a contractor in Saudi Arabia. Without some luck and Saudi connections to match his own ambitions, he would not be the moneyed man he is today.

Banquets and lunches continued throughout the 48-hour Saudi delegation visit. Beirut streets were festooned with the flags and banners of both countries. In fact, the flag business began at the Syrian border and continued all the way to Baabda Palace (Lebanon's White House) just outside Beirut.

In part, the Lebanese were saying thank you for Saudi Arabia's contributions to the post-war reconstruction efforts. To date the Kingdom's contributions through grants and donations come to $500 million.

And should giving be contagious, Hariri predicted that the visit would open the way for other Arab investors, especially from the Gulf countries, to come to Lebanon and contribute to its renaissance.

Such optimism is built on some sound figures. The balance of trade between the two countries is tipped in Lebanon's favor. Last year Saudi Arabian imports from Lebanon totaled $139 million, as compared to only $112 million worth of Saudi exports to Lebanon.

The best import of all is private Saudi investment in Lebanon, which currently is valued at $1.5 billion, with real estate and commercial investment dominating that figure. With this kind of money flowing into the economy, the Lebanese made sure their welcome was memorable and comfortable. (Prime Minister Hariri and his family moved out of their official residence and offered it to the prince as a mark of respect and regard for this honored visitor.)

The other visits were equally memorable, each in its own way. For Lebanese of all faiths, Pope John Paul's spring visit refocused world attention on Lebanon and its mending process. And Shirley Bassey, who had performed in Beirut 30 years ago, won over a new generation of Lebanese with her songs and her sentimental love for the country. She was quoted in the press as saying that the warmth of the Lebanese public is what made her come back to perform again.

The visits of foreign dignitaries or U.S. delegations pledging their support of Lebanon, and the arrival of World Bank president James Wolfensohn may go in one ear and out the other among the general Lebanese public. Been there, done that! But Shirley Bassey, wrapped in a silver and white feathery cloak, conquered Beirut's heart in a way that no other visitor could do. And that should prove that there is hope in Lebanon, along with the hype and headlines.