Fair Game
Philosophers will have it that life (and business) is a series of wins and losses. This year saw its fair share of both. Bespoke takes a closer look at the region’s winners, losers and the one who managed both.
Banking on the Future
INJAZ al-Arab is an NGO that actively focuses on giving children effective tools for the future. In only seven years its achievements and profile has grown exponentially, attracting some of the region’s foremost business leaders.
AramExpansion
Aramex is not an American company. Created in Jordan in 1982, with a smart name, and a visionary founder, Fadi Ghandour, the firm now has a market capital of XX billion dollars and a reach that extends into 41 countries.
Lebanese resistance
M.I. Associates have just come out with their new economic report on Lebanon. Far from exhibiting doom and gloom, the peculiar Mediterranean state is apparently showing financial resilience, explains Dr. Marwan Iskander.
24 Hours with Rami Makhzoumi
Even at the age of 30, Rami Makhzoumi is exceptionally eloquent. The momentum of his speech is evenly paced. His words carefully chosen. Always using positive active verbs in a deep clear and engaging voice. He takes a break to listen to questions and intermittently smoke his Cohiba’s Subl
Catching the train
Phileas Fogg rode on it to make it around the world in 80 days and Agatha Christie made it the stage setting for a murder. The Orient Express is the travel’s industry most compelling prodigy. But as Rana Ballout discovers, under its current management, it is also a business success story t
Twenty-Four with Philippe Ghanem
Philippe Ghanem may be one the region’s most promising business leaders. But as Michael McAdam finds out, he is hardly your typical business tycoon.
Faking It
I really don’t understand what all the controversy is about. Or why people are rallying against a bank offering plastic surgery loans. Business is business and beauty – or the lack thereof in some cases – is becoming a very lucrative one. So why shouldn’t banks, or rather Lebanon’s First N
Out of the Shadows: Bahaa Al Hariri on Business, Fatherhood and His Father
Bahaa Al Hariri is a very private man. The eldest of Rafic Al Hariri's children, he was born into fame yet lives on his own terms. In this rare interview he speaks candidly about business and fatherhood.
The gas barons
With the world becoming evermore reliant on gas rather than oil, the gas producing countries may be on the cusp of forming their own cartel. Who are the big players and if formed will this cartel learn from the mistakes of OPEC? There are too many variables to predict an outcome at this po
Against All Odds: Patron Myrna Al Bustani on Bringing Classical Music to Lebanon
Reluctant to court the spotlight, business leader and arts patron Myrna Al Bustani steps into it once a year. Rana Ballout meets the captivating figure behind a campaign to reshape Lebanon's view of classical music.
The Insider: Mathematical Certainty
A new asset management and advisory services firm has been formed comprising of some heavyweight players from the Middle Eastern finance scene. According to exclusive information given to the Insider, this should be of major interest to all sophisticated investors.