Lebanon welcomes lifting of Saudi travel ban

Saudi Arabia’s decision to lift the ban on its citizens traveling to Lebanon will have a positive impact on Lebanon's economy and tourism sector, politicians and tourism sector representatives told Al-Mashareq.

The kingdom's ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed al-Bukhari, on February 13th announced the lifting of the ban, which had been in force since November 2017.

The decision was taken because security concerns that led the kingdom to warn its citizens against traveling to Lebanon "no longer exist", he said.

The lifting of the ban is an "important measure, and it fulfills a Saudi promise to lift the travel ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon after the formation of a government", Lebanese Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian told Al-Mashareq.

After an eight-month deadlock, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri on January 31st announced a government line up.

"It is clear to us that the formation of the government was an essential step required by the kingdom in order to take this decision," Guidanian said.

The lifting of the ban will have a positive impact on all sectors, particularly tourism, he said, adding that the Saudi decision "paves the way for other Gulf states to announce the lifting of travel bans on their citizens".

This would have a significant impact on the economy, he said, as tourism from Gulf states is the "backbone of Lebanese tourism and the key driver for all sectors".

The ministry "made the decision to take good care of Saudi tourists by receiving them well and with hospitality and honour in order to boost their confidence in Lebanon", Guadanian said.

Jobs and investments

Economic institutions and the Lebanese-Saudi Business Council had long lobbied for the lifting of the travel ban on Saudi citizens, said Hotel Owners Association head Pierre Ashkar.

"We presented to Saudi and Emirati officials our observations on the negative aspects of the ban and the harm it is causing to the Lebanese people and economy," he told Al-Mashareq.

The UAE also imposed a ban on its citizens traveling to Lebanon late 2017, he said, and "we expressed to them our hope that they would reverse it".

Gulf tourists, especially Saudis, are "investors, employers and creators of jobs, investments and partnerships", Ashkar said.

"Tourism is the engine that drives the economy," he said. "It starts from the airport and taxi cab, and from there to the hotels, restaurants and shopping malls."

Saudi spending is high in all of those areas, Ashkar said.

Restoring confidence in Lebanon

The decision to lift the travel ban is "important for Lebanon in general", said Real Estate Syndicate of Lebanon (REAL) secretary Massaad Fares.

Its impact will be positive on all sectors, but especially on the tourism sector, he told Al-Mashareq.

Fares said he is anticipating the return of Saudi investment in Lebanon, but it will take some time to restore investor confidence in the country.

He also expressed his hope that the lifting of the Saudi ban will prompt other Gulf states to do the same, and the UAE in particular.

After the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, Lebanon lost its tourism advantage due to the closure of the land crossing with Syria, said An-Nahar business editor Sabine Oueiss.

The travel ban imposed by Gulf states "caused tourism revenues to drop from $9 billion to about $5 billion", she told Al-Mashareq.

Restoration of ties with Gulf states

Though the lifting of the ban is likely to increase tourism revenue, Oueiss said the decision’s primary importance lies in its political impact, and the restoration of normal ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.

The decision helps Lebanon to return to its Arab neighbours, because Lebanon cannot be part of the Iranian-Syrian axis, she added, especially now, in light of international sanctions against Iran and Hizbullah.

"We all know that when Lebanon was cut off from its neighbouring countries, it was under international monitoring because of Hizbullah's control of some of the country's facilities," she said.

After al-Hariri's shock resignation in November 2017, he accused Hizbullah of violating Lebanon's policy of "disassociation" from regional conflicts by fighting alongside the Syrian regime and assisting the Houthis (Ansarallah) in Yemen.

He left the door open to withdrawing his resignation if Hizbullah pulled back from involvement in regional conflicts, however, and later announced he was suspending his resignation, providing a way out of a political crisis.

In a rousing address before large crowds of supporters gathered outside his Beirut home following this announcement, he pledged he would stay in the country and protect its stability.