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Lebanon’s Big Small Step Forward

Unlike the iconic scenes in Kabul weeks earlier, this important step in the right direction for Lebanon barely made the Western press. Visible and chaotic scenes can grab headlines whilst Lebanon’s insidious crisis is both too complex and too incremental for much of the world to get its head round.
Perhaps the richest man in the country is new Prime Minister and to him and his cabinet lies the epic task of reversing a series of events that have forced all three-quarters of the Lebanese population into poverty. “The situation is very difficult. But it’s not impossible if we united as Lebanese. We have to put our hands together,” Prime Minister Navin Mikati told the press on Friday. “We are all going to work together, united with hope and determination.”
An EU statement in response to the news of a new government outlined their belief that “all parties involved should show the same resolve and ability to compromise, to adopt without delay the measures needed to ensure that the immediate needs and further legitimate expectations of the Lebanese people are met.”
The British Foreign Secretary issued a similar call for the new government to “be followed by implementation of urgent reforms”, going on to warn the new Lebanese leadership that “the UK supports Lebanon, but we must see concerted action”.
Whilst many seasoned observers of Lebanese politics are envisioning low expectations as to what the new government can and will do, there can be little doubting the scale of the challenge and its urgency. "We will tackle solutions to the fuel and medicine shortages in order to end the humiliation" to the population, Prime Minister Mikati said during the first meeting of the new leadership.
Tackling fires whilst attempting to address the root causes to Lebanon’s political wildfire crisis is the order of the day. Massive reforms and changes to the way the country is governed are clearly needed, but will a group of politicians who’ve emerged from the traditional months long horse-trading over control over ministries and patronage be the ones to deliver perhaps the most radical overhaul of Lebanese politics in the country’s history?
If the new government can stop hospitals having to switch off their ICU notes and protect the currency from sliding into complete worthlessness, the macro ambition is to unlock IMF support and the serious money that comes with it. Already the news has come through that Lebanon is to receive $1.135 billion in what are described as "Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)" from the International Monetary Fund to help the crisis-hit country tackle its deep economic depression.
Yet bigger money requires bigger reforms and herein lies the existential question facing this new cohort of Lebanese leaders. They are essentially products of a political system that they are now being asked to destroy in order to save the country. That’s the question at its most stark.
In its subtler forms the debate hinges on whether the IMF and the international community will settle on commercial banking reform and a restructuring of the Lebanese public sector, but even these are vast issues for a political team formed from consensus politics and prone to collapse for all the reasons that it took thirteen months to form.
Collapse would seem more likely than success unless those backers of each and every new Cabinet member realise the zero sum nature of that gamble if the country becomes essentially unliveable; with no fuel, no electricity, no infrastructure and a currency that is literally not worth the paper it is printed on.
A third alternative to success or collapse is increased competition along more historic sectarian lines. We’ve already seen how the politicisation of the country’s attempt to secure fuel has brought in Iranian tankers, US diplomats and a Lebanese delegation to Syria. Further unhelpful regionalisation or internationalisation of the crisis risks taking events into uncharted territory where prospects of violence become much more real. So the jury is now out for a critical few weeks and months that should tell us which way Lebanon is heading next.
by: James Denselow

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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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