Lebanese Businessmen Take Action over Hizbullah Campaign on Riyadh

Top Lebanese businessmen based in Saudi Arabia are planning to visit Beirut for talks with Lebanese leaders on Hizbullah's recent campaign on the kingdom, the head of commerce, industry and agriculture chambers federation said.

Mohammed Shuqair told al-Mustaqbal daily published on Friday that the businessmen from all sects want to warn Lebanese officials from the repercussions of the campaigns launched against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.

Such verbal attacks would impact the lives and businesses of the Lebanese expats in the Gulf, he said.

Hizbullah has been recently directing a barrage of criticism at Saudi Arabia over its airstrike campaign targeting Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels.

Hizbullah officials have warned Riyadh that it would be defeated and would pay a heavy price for its attacks.

Shuqair also revealed to al-Mustaqbal that a delegation from Lebanon's Economic Committees are planning to visit Saudi Arabia soon as part of a tour that would also take them to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to stress that “the private sector wants the best of ties with the Gulf.”

“Eighty-five percent of transactions to Lebanon are from the Gulf … while 50 percent of Lebanese exports are to Gulf states,” said Shuqair.

There are around 500,000 Lebanese expats in the Gulf.

Last month, the UAE, which hosts 100,000 Lebanese workers, expelled around 70 expatriates, mostly Shiites.

In 2009, dozens of Lebanese Shiites who had lived in the UAE for years were expelled on suspicion of links with Hizbullah.

In 2013, Qatar deported 18 Lebanese nationals after the GCC decided to impose sanctions against Hizbullah for its military intervention in war-torn Syria to support President Bashar Assad.

G.K.

H.K.