We love Lebanon and for that reason we have decided to create this sharing platform where people from around the world can share their Next Leb.

It is very simple, use twitter to send your change. You have to tweet using #nextleb and it will be added to site automatically.

You can then share it with your friends. This project’s goal is to demonstrate how many people want to bring change to Lebanon and move the next Lebanon.

What is your Next Leb?

It’s a place where we live in peace and unity. Where we love, where we party, where we build. That’s ours.

Visit The Next Leb

The recent years have been good for online marketing in Lebanon. Many companies in Lebanon have experienced a rapid increase in their revenues because of online marketing. These companies are now growing exponentially because of adopting the various techniques of online marketing. Apart form Lebanon, the Middle East countries have also joined the bandwagon. These countries include Qatar, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

With the help of online marketing the Lebanese companies are able to direct promotional activities towards the bigger powers such as USA and Europe. More and more clients from all across the world are becoming more aware of these companies and this is online because of the online marketing campaign done on a regular basis.

In the past, many companies were reluctant to invest in this type of marketing as they were not aware of its potential. But when they saw the rapid progress that other companies made they learnt that it was a sound investment in terms of time and finance.

Studies show that companies in the Middle East and MENA have shown consistent increase in their spending on online promotion. In fact, these regions have shown the highest growth with staggering figures of 1030%. Since everyone has unlimited broadband now at reasonable rates, people can now surf the internet for anything that they want without worrying about mounting bills.

The companies in Lebanon are taking advantage of this opportunity and they are finding online campaigns cost effective with a global reach. Search engines like Google are opening offices in the Middle East and this is an additional motivational factor for the companies to devise online promotion campaigns. The best part of these campaigns is that they work equally well in the local and the international markets. In fact, there has been a significant increase in the number of conferences and workshops related to online marketing campaigns in Lebanon.

There are different dishes prepared in the different regions of Lebanon. But all of them are healthy and tasty. The common ingredients that you will find in most of the Lebanese dishes include meat like lamb, goat meat. Olive oil is used for cooking with common spices such as garlic and lemon juice. Most of the food is grilled, sautéed or baked in olive oil. Butter is rarely used as it is considered unhealthy.

The Lebanese people use a lot of herbs and spices in the food. Fresh ingredients are always preferred over stale ingredients. A drink such as wine is normally served with food. The food is normally served as Mezze and this is similar to the Spanish serving Tapas in bowls. Food is served in Mezze style when there is a group of people. The Lebanese use a lot of pita bread in their dishes.

People in Lebanon love to eat a dish called Halawat el Jebn in the local language. This dish consists of cheese rolled which is filled with clotted cream and then topped with syrup. Then we have Karabeej Halabi which is pistachio filled up with shortcut pastries and topped with meringue cream.

For meat, marinated roast lamb is the favorite. This is called Shawarma Lamb and it has lamb slices that are served with tahini sauce. For chicken, people love chicken breast slices combined with garlic sauce. The other chicken dish is Shish Taouk which is skewered cubes of marinated chicken served with garlic sauce and chicken breast. Any Lebanese lunch or dinner is not complete without a dessert. Baklava is the regions; favorite dessert. People of Lebanon gorge on coffee. However the coffee does not contain milk, sugar or any other additives. They love their coffee bitter and the people regard it as an essential part of their culture.

Lebanon has today become a great country for tourism. The political turmoil has ended and now the country depends on tourism for a significant contribution to the national exchequer. Today not only tourists from the Arab countries come to Lebanon but there are millions of people coming from all over the world to marvel at Lebanese cuisine, restaurants, pubs, historical monuments and activities such as hiking and boating.

In case you like mountainous beauty then you can head to Faqra Mountains. In case you like bright and sunny places with a touch of beauty then you can head to Broummana and Bhamdoun. Lebanon attracts tourists of all types and different tastes and the people are also extremely warm and friendly. No longer can the country termed as an unsafe place.

Most of the tourists visit Lebanon in the summer time. This is because Lebanon has a relatively less warm climate than the surrounding hot countries in the Middle East. Many people from the surrounding countries come to Lebanon for several months to spend their summer. Many from the lot have also bought houses in Lebanon as investment and a good option for staying rather than every time booking a hotel room.

Lebanon has its fair share of snow as well in the mountains. For adventure lovers who like to ski, this is the place to be. You can even enjoy the snow at the sea level. The city of Beirut is a great place to be. It has excellent restaurants, night life and historical monuments for art lovers.  Many people come to Lebanon especially to eat its cuisine. This is the best cuisine that you can have in the Middle East. The food is healthy as it uses olive oil and more of fruits and vegetables instead of fatty foods.

Lately the businessmen in Lebanon have resorted to a unique type of marketing their business and this is called apparel branding. Putting the company logo and brand on the apparel can catch the view of many eyes. People can see it wherever the wearer of apparel goes. The apparel advertising the Lebanon company’s name and logo is also worn by workers. They can be given as gifts to people who are directly or indirectly related to the company. Apparel branding in Lebanon has increased the visibility of the company fourfold.

As a Lebanon businessman you want to do everything you can to increase the visibility of your company. This way the businessman can generate leads for his company which in turn leads to more revenues. Apart from brand apparel the company can also adopt several traditional advertising methods as well such as print, video and billboard. However these types of advertising are costly and they leave only a temporary effect. However the apparel will stay with the people for many years to come and hence it will be like repeated advertising.

So we see that promotional apparel is not only less costly but it is a more effective means of marketing your Lebanon business. It is one of the best ways today to gain exposure for your brand. As mentioned before, brand apparel advertising can start within the company itself. For example, workers can be given special type of uniforms to wear with the company logo and name on the uniform. The work uniform also instills a sense of unity in the workers. Your staff is easily identified when the customer walks in your company.

You can also include brand advertising in corporate gifts such as hats, key chains and purses. This is a good way of telling thank you to your existing customers.

Travelers to Lebanon are amazed at what the country ha to offer. When you step in Lebanon you are surrounded by beauty from all sides. Lebanon has mountains and the world’s best beaches. It has a mix of historical monuments as well as swanky, new restaurants and pubs. Lebanon is a perfect place to be for young and the old.

Lebanon is blessed with stunning landscapes, panoramic views, golden beaches and the most amazing activities such as trekking, boating, skiing and cycling. The country has an excellent Mediterranean climate and rich culture. The monuments have well preserved mosaics from the Byzantine and Roman ears.

If you take a step away from the city you are transported to the beautiful countryside full of traditional villages and religious sites. These villages conduct different types of festivities regularly which you can personally experience. You can simply relax at the sugary white beaches and if you are one of the adventurous types that you can go for a swim or water sports. There are water activities such as scuba diving, parasailing, windsurfing and fishing.

If water does not excite you then you can go to the nature parks and do activities such as bird watching, camping, hiking and mountain climbing. For a great experience you can even go to the souks and the night bazaars. Here you can get traditional Lebanese souvenirs for your loved ones back home. There are hand woven rugs, spices, gourmet foods, art jewelry and craft items. Your trip to Lebanon is incomplete without tasting the Lebanese cuisine. It is delicious as well as healthy.

Nightlife in Lebanon is very active with restaurants, discos, night clubs, pubs and wine lounges. You can enjoy yourselves throughout the night as these venues are open till the wee hours of the morning.

Lebanon has an inviting mountain range and national parks which are a perfect setting for family camps. While in Lebanon you can go for these camps with your family and have the best time of your lives. Along with camping you can go for nature trails as well as exploration, canoeing and hiking. This way you can get a break from your concrete world and breathe free fresh air that the beautiful sights that Lebanon has to offer. Camping in Lebanon offers a unique opportunity of admiring nature. The serene surroundings help to calm your mind.

Instead of the usual outings such as posh restaurants or theatres, camping in Beirut offers an altogether different experience. It is a very economical way to share memorable moments with your family. When you are going for camping, remember to keep it simple. Don’t carry your whole house with you. Just carry the bare necessities such as tent, medications, sleeping mattress, caps, mosquito repellent and extra pair of clothes. You can also carry a portable stove to cook food. You can bring packaged foods that you can simply cook on the stove.

There are good family tents available for reasonable costs. Setting these tents in the wild open space is a piece of cake. No longer do you have to tie strings or hook the nails in the ground. Dome tents are ideal to set up and they take no longer than 10 minutes. Pulling then down is also not much of a problem. Moreover the tents are made from sturdy material to help protect against winds, sun and rain.

So on your next trip to Lebanon, do not miss the camping experience on one of its nature parks. Do get in touch with the authorities to ask for directions, climate in the next 2 days and safe sights to camp.

If you are travelling to Lebanon then one of the first things that you should do is get travel insurance. The type of insurance covers you for any unforeseen event that may happen while on your travel. Some of the unforeseen experiences are accident, theft, loss of tickets or other important documents, loss of baggage and tickets.

There are many people traveling to Lebanon who ask whether they really need travel insurance. The answer is a definite yes. Travel insurance does not cost more than 20 dollars on an average but at least you can travel tension free. Traveling could have unexpected events sometimes, especially when you are gone for a long period of time. Hence buying travel insurance in this scenario will be beneficial for you. It will also give you a peace of mind and hence you will be able to enjoy your vacation to Lebanon without any worries.

There are different types of travel insurances available. There is medical insurance which covers all types of medicinal and hospitalization expenses. Then you also have flight insurance which covers injuries and even death during an airplane flight. There is baggage insurance that covers losses in case your baggage gets lost at the airport or anywhere else in Lebanon. It will also cover damaged baggage.

It is possible to get all these insurances under one policy and this is known as general policy insurance. Before applying for travel insurance you should check out the various policies of different companies and compare the offers. Since it is a competitive market you can also request for lower premium payments. You can also save some precious dollars by telling the insurance agent your exact requirements so that he can provide you with only that specific type of insurance that covers your needs.

Even Lebanon has suffered die to global warming. Global warming has adversely affected the climatic patterns in Lebanon and other surrounding countries. Lebanon is in the Mediterranean region and this region is already facing the consequences of global warming with visible signs such as depleting levels of water resources.

There has also been rapid development and industrialization which is putting a lot of pressure on the drinking water resources. The demand for water has increased by 60% in the last 25 years. Hence there is an acute water shortage in many regions of Lebanon. Some areas are also experiencing drought and agriculture has been affected as well. Lesser water resources are negatively reflecting the social, economic and environmental effects of the region. There is less of precipitation density in terms of intensity, timing and volume. The increase in temperature has led to a decrease in humidity and cloud cover. Hence rains are also less since the last few years.

Lebanon is also experiencing delays in the arrival of the rainy season. There is low humidity in many regions which is increasing the severity of dryness. Because of global warming, there are other climatic changes as well such as high winds and temperature coupled with low relative humidity. The human influence is also negatively adding to the woes and more and more water is being lapped up by industries leaving less fresh water for the citizens.

The forests are rapidly depleting and hence they are not being able to hold up ground water as before. There has also been a rapid increase in population size in the last 20 years. All these factors have led to an acuter shortage of fresh drinking water in many areas. The renewable fresh water reduced to 1900 m3/year to 1100 m3/year between 1990 and 2025.

If you want to travel safely in Lebanon then the first things that you should do is get a travel insurance. It is better to buy travel insurance before you embark on an overseas journey. The insurance will cover the charges of accidents, thefts and other bad experiences that you can have on your oversea trip.

The country of Lebanon has suffered from political turmoil in the last 20 years. However over the past decade there has been a restoration of normalcy and hence there has been an increase in tourist numbers as well. Lebanon is now known as the Paris of the East and it has returned to its former glory.

One of the most common sense things that you should remember is to travel in groups wherever you go in Lebanon. You should avoid any type of narrow lanes, especially at odd hours of the night. The crime rate in Lebanon has come significantly but you should be extra careful of your belongings. You should avoid carrying too much cash and important documents such as passport. You should also try to avoid wearing any type of real gold or diamond jewelry.

If you see any public gathering on the road then you should avoid joining them. This is because these gatherings are for a political cause and they could turn out to be violent. When you are staying in Beirut then you should not travel south to the Litani River. The area surrounding the river has unexploded landmines which could be a severe threat to your life. You should ideally stick to the well traveled tourist paths.  In case you are travelling to Israel then you should not visit Lebanon after you have traveled to Israel. You may be held up at the check post and refused entry.

If you are planning to travel to Lebanon then you need to take care of the following tips to ensure that your stay is as comfortable and memorable as possible. You will normally observe that the Lebanese people are quite social and friendly by nature. You should not be reluctant if you want to ask for directions. Most of them will assist you in the best way they can. A vast majority of them are fluent in several languages. They won’t mind discussing topics with you. In case you are interested in street shopping then you should bargain well. The stall owners won’t mind selling their goods to you at cheaper prices.

Contrary to beliefs, Lebanon has become a secure location and there have been no major cases of violence since 2000. Hence it is completely safe to travel to Lebanon for business or pleasure. You can visit the country during the summer months when many villages arrange special festivals. The activities in these festivals range from singing to dancing. Most of these performances are free to view.

In case you just want to go from one spot to another then it is cheaper and better to take service taxis. These are shared taxis that take a particular trajectory and charge you a minimum fare. You can also hail taxi automobiles on the roadways. Then you have typical taxis that are parked to ferry individual customers. Since most of the taxis don’t have a taxi meter it is necessary to decide the price in advance. You can ask the hotel reception ad to how much should you pay for travelling to a particular place.

Most of the exclusive beach locations in Beirut have entry fees. Once you pay the fees you get access to various facilities except towels for which you have to pay extra.

A visit to Lebanon is not complete if you don’t experience the traditional belly dancing of the region. The belly dancers of Lebanon are very beautiful and they sway their bellies in graceful movements without puffing or huffing. Belly dancing is an art in Lebanon that has been followed for thousands of years. Even today it has not lost its charm and there are people coming from all over the world to witness the spectacular shows. You can view belly dancing under the cedars of Lebanon. You can also try to learn the art of belly dancing though it can be very difficult in the beginning.

Today many people in Lebanon have taken to belly dancing as a new way of exercise. Belly dancing helps to keep the burn off the extra calories and also helps to keep your body fit, Imagine yourself wearing a velvety costume decorated with gold beads and glittering sequins dancing to the tune of the seductive beats of the tambor. You have to sway your hip according to the beats of the musical instrument. The coins on your dress reflect the light and the whole experience is extremely enthralling.

Not only does belly dancing help you lose weight but it also helps t shape your back, thigh and abdominal muscles. If you really want to do it right then you need to put in efforts through several tough sessions before you actually reach your goal. Once you learn the trick of the trade you will feel like you have conquered Mount Everest.

The best way to learn belly dancing in Lebanon is to take professional classes. Here you have an instructor who will teach you seductive moves and also make you improve upon your mistakes. You can also get a belly dancing trainer CD from the market and learn it at home.

The country of Lebanon has a typical Mediterranean type of climate with cool wet winters and dry hot summers. The summer along the coasts can be pretty hot and humid. The temperature in summer can hover around 35 degrees Celsius during the day. Humidity is quite high due to the proximity of the sea. At night, the temperature is not lower than 25 degrees Celsius. You can venture on mountain trails as they have a beautiful and bright climate during the summers. The temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius during the day and 16 degrees Celsius at night.

You will have a better time near the coasts in winter. The temperature in winter is 17 degrees Celsius during the day and 11 degrees Celsius at night. The winter in the mountains can become quite severe with heavy snowfall. Precipitation levels fall during the winter in Lebanon which is typical of Mediterranean climate. In the months of December and January the precipitation exceeds around 6 inches but in the summer months it is almost zero. The Lebanon mountains receive a lot of snowfall in winter. Even the city of Beirut gets a little bit of snowfall once in a few year.

The best season to visit Lebanon is during fall or spring when the temperatures are moderate. The rainfall is also medium during this time and the climate is bright and sunny. Hence we see that Lebanon has cool and wet winters and dry summers. In spring and fall there is mild precipitation. If you want to tour Lebanon then you should definitely take these climatic conditions into consideration. You will be able to enjoy more what’s in store for you if you visit the country at the right time. This way you will not fall sick if you go at odd times.

Lebanon has a rich history and hence if you are interested in the subject then you should pay a visit to the region at least once. Lebanon has an extensive history spanning hundreds of years. The country has gone through periods of turmoil, losses and even new discoveries. Lebanon has some of the oldest cities on the planet. These cities include Beirut, Byblos and Sidon. In 2009, Lebanon was declared as the top most destinations for wild parties. These parties are attended by celebrities from all over the globe.

Lebanon was ruled by the Romans in the past. Hence you can find many roman ruins in the country. To marvel at one of these sites you can go to Baalbek. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site  and Baalbek has some of the finest preserved temples of those times. Some of these temples that you can visit include Temple of Bacchus and Temple of Jupiter. These temples are rich in art and they still stand today.

Another UNESCO site that you can visit is the Cedars of  God and the Kadisha Valley. The valley has some of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. Kadisha means holy. There are many caves in the Kadisha valley and they were used by refugees who had fled because of religious atrocities committed on them. The oldest trees on the planet are the Cedars of Gods. The wood from these trees was much in demand to build boats and other materials. Even the Egyptians used this wood to build their boats. The wood was also used by the great King Solomon for building the first temple related to Jerusalem.

Tyre is another must visit city. This city is as old as 2750 BC and there are still people living here. Two mythological women called Dido and Europa were born here.

Beauty tourism has become quite popular in Lebanon. It refers to tourism involving plastic surgery to look beautiful and other surgeries such as breast implants. Beauty tourism can also refer to touring a country to enhance the beauty aspects. Beauty tourism has picked up lately in Lebanon because of the cheaper costs of the treatments when compared to other countries such as Europe and America. A plastic surgery in Lebanon will cost just one third of what it will cost in London.

The beauty tourism doctors in Lebanon are thorough professionals and they have world class facilities to boast of. The quality of the services that the doctors provide is extra ordinary. Many of the doctors in Lebanon have completed their medical studies from renowned universities in USA and Europe. Hence they are true experts in the field and highly qualified. Even the hospitals in Lebanon have the latest technologies and machines.

So the next time you want to do a surgery related to beauty then you can head to countries like Lebanon. There are no risks at all and you pay lower costs for the same surgery that takes place in USA. After your surgery you can even go for a tour in Lebanon. The aesthetic boom in Lebanon happened due to the end of the political turmoil from 2000. Ever since there have been 1.5 million plastic surgeries in Lebanon coupled with 10 million skin lifting procedures.
About 60% of the total customers come from the Middle East and 40% come from other Arab countries. Ever since 2000 Lebanon has proved itself to be the beauty treatment capital of the Arab world. Today the beauty tourism industry is worth millions of dollars and it has a great potential of growing ten times.

Lebanon has today become a jewel in the Middle East because of its tourism industry. The country is visited by people from the Arabic Gulf and also from different parts of the world. Lebanon has a rich culture and history. It has hundreds of monuments and historic places for people interested in history. There are nightclubs and pubs for the younger generation and ski resorts for the adventurous lot. For people who like nice weather there are the 2 tourist spots of Bhamdoun and Broummmana.

Lebanon attracts tourists with diverse tastes as there is everything for everyone. Lebanon has more tourists in the summer. This is because it is not so hot in the region than the other countries in the Middle East such as Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia. People from these regions come to Lebanon in the summer time. Many of them own houses and vacation home in the cooler mountainous regions. If you don’t like the snow then you can stay in downtown Lebanon.

Downtown Lebanon has a lot of activities for the tourists in terms of entertainment and dining options. Nightlife is also very active in Lebanon. Cities like Beirut are safer than ever before and hence the tourists feel at home. The tourists love the local Lebanese food and many of them come to the region to try its local cuisine. However there are restaurants serving different types of international cuisine as well. Cities like Beirut have also started activities such as yacht charter. Here you can hire a yacht for a day and have a great time at sea.

There are golf clubs for people who like to play the sport. No matter what your preferences are, Lebanon has everything for everyone. Even the quality of service at restaurants and entertainment centers has improved manifold.

Lebanon has woken up from the difficult times of war since 2000 and now it is a region booming with happy people. Their standard of living has increased and manifold and they have more disposable income than ever before. Many people in Lebanon to gamble and hence the regions has tis fair share of casinos. Cities like Beirut are a haven for people who like to gamble. The mainland casino in Lebanon is the largest casino in the Middle East. It attracts gamblers from all over Lebanon and the world.

Then we have the Casino du Liban which is located about 14 miles from Beirut. The casino had to be closed down for a while in the past because of civil war. However it reopened in 1996. It is the largest casino in the Middle East with 300,000 square feet of gaming space. The casino has 400 slot machines and 57 gaming tables consisting of BlackJack, American Roulette, Stud Poker and Punto Banco. The casino has 6 restaurants serving different types of cuisines such as Lebanese, French and American. The restaurants are open 7 days week.

Most of the casinos in Lebanon are open till 1 am. It is a matter of your luck here as many gamblers lose thousand of dollars while many of them win the same amount. The casino industry is also contributing to the overall tourism industry. Many people from all over the world are coming to Lebanon only to play casino. This is fuelling the overall tourism industry in the region. With the ease of tensions in Lebanon, the casino industry in Lebanon is resuming. If you are looking for an altogether different casino experience then you can board the cruise ship, Orient Queen. It has a big casino with 32 slot machines and 5 gaming tables.

 If the recent interview with MTC Tourch boss Claude Bassil which was held by a Lebanese newspaper is to be believed, then the main point that stands out is that the third generation mobile services are all set to modernize Lebanon’s economy.

Users will now be able to take the advantage of more than the 40Mb/s speed of internet broadband, which is the result of the telecommunication operators that are progressing with 3.9G HSPA+ networking. Users will be excited to know that it also provides data rich services through which users can experience video streaming, video calling, mobile TV and many other 3G services.

Alfa, the contestant of MTC Tourch is also planning to launch its 3G services. The company has also completed its video calling test in the last of April. It is expected that the company will launch its services probably by the end of 2011.

According to Mr. Bassil, 80,000 is the lowest figure for 3G subscribers by the end of 2011. He also gave the example of Jordan, where the figure reached around 300,000 in just three months after the introduction of mobile technologies. The 3G subscriber’s figure, which is expected by Mr. Bassil is approx 160,000 by the end of the year.

In order to improve the standard of 3G mobile sector to make it at par with the developed countries, it is essential to enhance the mobile percentage rate in Lebanon. The current mobile rate is 73% which can be increased in a short time through better mobile technology services.

In Lebanon, both the mobile providers are owned by the state. Under the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications Kuwait’s Zain is the subsidiary, who managed the MTC Touch, and on the other hand Alfa is operated by Egypt’s Orascom.

Montreal’s Real Estate Remains Strong

Formerly Canada’s largest city, Montreal is now also the largest metropolitan area in Quebec. Among the largest French-speaking cities in the world, this metropolitan area boasts of a population of nearly 3,700,000. It is one of the country’s vital financial, commercial, industrial, cultural, and world events hub, with its major industries including software engineering, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, apparel manufacturing, tobacco, transportation, and telecommunication. The Montreal service sector is also one of its assets as they specialize in process, civil, and mechanical engineering, higher education, finance, research and development.

 Strong Canadian Real Estate Market

The country’s economic status is a perfect reflection of the success that the Canadian real estate market is currently enjoying from. The booming situation of the country’s real estate market should not come as a surprise, not with its affluent energy sector, its very dynamic inward migration rate, and its rich city centers. It should also be noted that Canada holds a remarkable 2.9% of tourist demand in the entire world, not to mention the commodities in the country still exceptionally low compared to other countries.  And with this currently occurring, it is definitely an exceptional time to decide and move into one of these promising real estates in the country.

And despite the crunch time that the Third World countries are wallowing from, the country’s real estate association affirms that Canada is on its way to having its best year ever. This is tantamount to saying that even if it falls short, the real estate market hasn’t shown any droop whatsoever yet.

With all the great promises that the current Canadian economy is showing, Montreal is now ranking high in the list of the best cities in Northern America to invest on when it comes to real estate—a perspective that continues to call worldwide investors.

With the every increasing levels of diamond and gold trading in 2010 in Dubai, the 2011 Dubai International Jewelry Week is all set to wow attendees from 10^th to 13^th November at one of the most prestigious industry events in the Middle East.

The 16^th edition of the festival will attract thousands of attendees from Lebanon as well as several other countries such as UK, Turkey, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Italy, India and Hong Kong. The one of a kind event will showcase luxury collections and jewelry pieces, stylish designs and unique watches at exclusive event prices. The event will be held at DICES, Dubai’s International Convention & Exhibition Center and is to be organized by the World Trade Center of Dubai.

The event this year will feature more than 300 exhibitors, including Beirut jewelry along with 30 other countries presenting beautiful collections of watches and fine jewelry. The National Pavilion that represents Lebanon jewelry will be participating in the event along with several other countries.

The event this year includes several new elements that includes the Pearl Lounge, exclusive VIP access, the premium and luxurious Boutique Boulevard with luxury jewelry from across the world and Diamond World, spread over 1500 square meters and dedicated to the best selection of diamond jewelry and loose diamonds. A key feature in the event will be emerging design talent. Pieces from winners of the third Jewelry Design Awards will also be displayed during the event.

With its reputation as the must attend annual event, the event will also host a number of workshops and seminars that includes a two day seminar that is hosted by Gemology Institute of America. This seminar will discuss the latest market opportunities and trends in the region.

 Lebanon’s Tourism Ministry has warned that beach Lebanon resorts all over the country are raising prices for their food items and entrance fees. The Ministry believed that there is no economic justification for the price increase.

The ministry issued a statement, “The ministry asked pool and beach Lebanon resort owners to submit us a list of the entrance fee rates and prices for beverage and food items that are sold inside the resort, considering the fact that there is no justification for really increasing the rates when compared to the prior year.”

The Tourism Ministry of Lebanon has also asked that the rates of beverages, soda and water should be reasonable since they tend to be the most popular for people that visit beach Lebanon and beach Beirut during the summers.

The warning issued by the ministry comes as the Lebanon beach resorts are increasing their entrance fees. The average fees ranges between 25,000 to 30,000 LL which is 5,000 LL higher than the prices in the last year.

Drinks and food at the Beirut beach resorts are higher in prices than the actual price. a small water bottle can cost as much as 4,000 LL, which is 3,500 LL more than the supermarket price. A hamburger without any price at a Rmelieh resort costs 14,000 LL and local beer costs 7,000 LL. Lebanon’s ministry said that the owners should abide by price system that is set by ministry and that price manipulation can also lead to legal action for violators.

Beirut was recently ranked as the 4^th most expensive place in Middle East and globally it held the 75^th place as per the annual cost of living survey conducted in 214 cities in the world by Mercer Human Resources Consulting. Accommodation in Beirut is definitely the most expensive, as can be seen from the fact that it stood on the 15^th position in the Upper Mid Income Countries that were included in the survey.

The study was conducted to measure the cost of more than 200 items in every location such as cost of accommodation Beirut, household goods, clothing, food, entertainment and transportation. When compared globally, Beirut was at par with Chile’s Santiago and was more expensive than Montreal, Munich and Los Angeles. Santiago tied with Beirut and accommodations Beirut were considered to be costlier than Mauritius’s Port Louis, Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur and Kazakhstan’s Almaty. Accommodations Beirut ranked behind Cuba’s Havana, Colombia’s Bogota and Istanbul.

The only cities in the Arab world that were more expensive when compared to Beirut were Djibouti, Khartoum and Abu Dhabi. The decline of 16 of the Arab cities in rankings can be attributed to the ongoing accommodation cost fall as well as decline in housing costs in the region that is reducing the cost of living substantially for expatriates. In 2011, Djibouti is the costliest city and Tunis is the least expensive. Khartoum along with Djibouti were placed in the top 50 list of the survey.

This survey also included 4 non-Arab cities in the region since Tehran ranked at 130^th, Limassol at 119^th, Istanbul at 70^th and Tel Aviv at 24^th position globally. In Angola, Luanda retains its position as the most expensive in the world while Pakistan’s Karachi is still the least expensive city in the world.

According to the sampling done up to the year 2010, Lebanon almost covers 233 countries worldwide Telecommunications sector and has registered as International Telecommunications Union, an agency of the United Nations which has shown resulted statistics.

With the survey of ITU, in terms of technology like internet, Lebanon has the 10th position in comparison to 17 Middle East as well as countries in North Africa and most prominently Lebanon has the 116th position globally measured by the maximum percentage of the internet users in a country.

It has been assessed that Lebanon has enhanced its internet penetration rate from being 23.68 percent to 31 percent with the comparison of previous year average MENA penetration rate 27.28 percent in terms of usage and globally increased up to 30.16 percent.

With the comparison of highest internet usage piercing rates region like Oman (62.60%), UAE (78%), and Qatar (69%), Lebanon relatively has a very low percentage usage of internet.

If we talk about the mobile subscribers in Lebanon, it has the 116th rank in comparison to the 233 countries out of the total populations. In comparison with the 17 MENA countries, Lebanon has the 14th rank.

According to the sampling, out of the total population of Lebanon, the number of people using mobile subscriptions has far better position and acquires 116th rank with comparison of 233 countries which are included in a sampling. Conventionally, Lebanon comes in 14th rank with comparison of 17 MENA countries. Moreover, in the year 2010, Lebanon increased it’s mobile cellular subscriptions up to 68 per 100 inhabitants with comparison of 56.95 in the year 2009.

However, it remains lesser with respect to the global average which stands at 77.73 for every 100 inhabitants as well as relatively higher regional average at 90.49.

Internet floodgates services are now obtainable in Lebanon, with the help of which it will be quite easy to receive international bandwidth. However, it will still take some time to fully function.
“Customers will not be able to see any of the dynamic results till we will place new pricing,” conveyed by the chairperson of Globalcom Data Services, named Habib Torbey.
The conditions changed when IMEWE-“switch” came into the picture. The capacity of the transfer rate of IMEWE is 3.84 Terabits per second is quite higher than the transfer rate of previous cable in Lebanon.

The issue arises because of the high pricing of internet packages. The high prices are charged from users simply because of their expectation of getting high internet speed.
Imad Tarabay, the CEO of Cedarcom initiated the move to reduce the price of Internet services by charging $100 instead of the standard $300.
According to Boustani, the new pricing will be implemented next month.
Generally, when the new prices are issued, Lebanon previously reported, most consumers are likely to pay what they currently pay for their connections, but receive faster services and connections with possibly no limits.

When consumers purchase an Internet connection with an advertised download speed, they may notice the variation in the speed of their current connections. However, there is no way for them to know the exact speed that their new connection provided, another factor that often bothers users.
The main reason why these strategies were put in place was because Internet service providers had limited bandwidth. Most customers were interested in higher downloading speed.
Since the end of 2010 many other telecommunication companies started using IMEWE cables so as to get more bandwidth.

On the basis of this dispute, the Ogero ministries banned Lebanon from making use of IMEWE for more than half year.

After a long time, the submarine cable has finally been put into action last Monday. The main aim of the cable is to offer internet service providers with the maximum capacity for high speed internet. Antoine Boustany was responsible in making it happen.

The 13,000 KM IMEWE cable running between India and France is near about 3.8 Terabits per second. The implementation of this line in Lebanon had been delayed but was ready to use since 2009. The launching date was Dec. 13, 2010 and was postponed because of issues between Telecoms Ministry, Charbel Nahhas, and OGERO.

According to Boustany, higher access to IMEWE cable was given the green signal only when the Charbel Nahhas wrote a letter to the group to let them know the overall authority about the company’s Internet supply.

Alfa and MTC were the two cellular companies which took steps to launch high speed 3G technologies in the market within seven months.

Imad Tarabay, the CEO of ISP Cadarcom initiated the reduction in price of Internet Services.

It has been calculated that ISPs currently pay approximately $3,000 for the line which cost $100 for the government to supply. According to Tarabay, fast internet facilities are required by users today.

The news was received favorably and with much enthusiasm on Tuesday. The Co-founder of advocacy group, Mark Daou stated that he is pleased with the services but his main focus is on 3G services which will help users get access to increased speed.

According to Samer Karam, it will take one more year to finalize things and put them in motion.

According to Karam, Lebanon is a place where high speed internet services are in demand and it has a direct impact on the economy too.

Nowadays, with the change in demand, the technology is changing day by day. Everyday a latest technology is introduced into market and the best thing is that it’s been appreciated by the customers. When it comes to the high speed internet services, IPTV and 3G mobile networks can never be left behind.

After a survey it was noticed that Nicolas Sehnawi, telecommunication Minister accepted that people are in need of a good development into the internet market in accordance with slackening of internal ability called as India-Middle East –Western Europe and Cadmos.

Mr. Sehnawi also added his views by giving a notice of presenting a draft bill for the reduction in the costing of internet services in Lebanon and the bill is to be presented to the Cabinet in the time frame of next three weeks.

It may be shocking for you but still the reality is that the potential capacity of the 13,000km IMEWE cable that connects the two most famous countries India and France is near about 3.84 TB per second.

Charbel Nahhas, Lebanon’s previous Telecommunications Minister, the broker of the deal, suggested that the capacity of the cable may be tapped so as to enhance the processing of offered 3G networks and broadband mobile services.

If you are waiting for the high speed internet service which could help you to surf heavy websites, then the best option in present time is MTC as it’s expected that it is going to offer 42mbps broadband internet speed to its customers and in a very affordable range. This high speed will surely help out the individuals in accessing IPTV, mobile TV and so on.

Before the end of 2011, Alfa has promised to offer the mobile subscribers with the next generation services in Lebanon. Presently Alfa is busy in launching its 3G services and had successfully processed its video call in the mid of April. The introduction of new submarine cable connection made a great change in to the market of internet services by providing high speed internet facilities in a very affordable range which could help the customers to purchase the plan with ease and comfort.

The Daily Star, a Lebanese Newspaper flashed news that the chief executive (Imad Tarabay) of Internet service provider Cedarcom focused on the service providers who are doing their best in providing high internet services to the users as the government is charging US $3000 for that.

In the present scenario, the situation is like it seems that they are alluring you to purchase the property in Beirut. According to great personality Mr. tarabay “There is plenty of land over here, but no one can go for it”

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