Expatriate Forums in Middle East

JOBS VACANCIES ANNOUNCEMENTS-TOTAL ENERGY PETROCHEMICAL

Mrs. Belinda — Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:59 pm

Author: Mrs. Belinda

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:59 pm

Hello Everyone,
We take this opportunity to publicly make this last announcement to every liked minded individual, that the TOTAL ENERGY PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY (UK) PLC. Is hereby announcing jobs vacancies/ training programme 2009 in United Kingdom . We need the services of able men and women around the globe to fill in the jobs gap placement in our company in United Kingdom. Below are the summaries
list of jobs vacancies with Total Energy Company as follow :- Accounting / Audit / Taxation Jobs, Administration / Clerical Support / Service, Jobs, Banking, Business Analysis / Data Analysis Jobs, Business Consultancy Jobs, Business Development Jobs, Call Centre Jobs, Civil Services Jobs, Company Secretary Jobs, Customer Service Jobs, Design Jobs, Documentary Credit / Bills Processing, Energy / Natural Resources / Oil & Gas, Engineering Jobs, General Management Jobs, Hospitality / Hotel Services Jobs, Human Resources / Recruitment Jobs, Information Technology (I.T.) Jobs, Insurance Jobs, Junior Executive Jobs, Legal & Compliance Jobs, Inventorying, Marketing / Public Relations Jobs, Merchandising Jobs, Order Processing & Operation / Setting, Others Jobs, Petroleum / Petrochemical Jobs, Procurement / Purchasing / Sourcing
Jobs, Research & Development (R&D) Jobs, Research / Survey Services Jobs, Sales Jobs, Student / Fresh Graduate / No Experience, Telecommunications Jobs, Top Executives (CEO, CFO, CTO, GM, Manager, Tourism / Travel Agency Jobs, Trading Jobs, Transportation / Shipping / Freighting, and many more jobs place available.

Thanks for your audience to read this publication message.
Mrs. Belinda Clifford
(Chief international Announcement officer).
Total Energy Company Plc London - United

Nhon Trach City Center (NTCC)

siewlee26 — Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:30 pm

Author: siewlee26

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:30 pm

Nhon Trach City Center (NTCC)

International Future City of Vietnam
Nhon Trach City Center (NTCC); the first satellite township concept in Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai Province; incorporates housing, commercial and recreational complexes to present the opportunity for the elite in Vietnam to experience luxury life where home, work, business and play are all within reach in a secured environment. With the essence of design contributed by specialists with hands-on housing scheme development experiences in Hong Kong, China, India, Australia and Malaysia, NTCC is shaped to be the International Future City of Vietnam!

Strategic Location
The position of NTCC in the would-be administrative center of Nhon Trach; which is about 60km from the bustling HCMC, in close proximity to numerous established industrial parks, namely Nhon Trach Industrial Park I-VI; benefits our tenants / owners in taking advantage of all the current and future planning for either Nhon Trach or its neighbouring cities in the south, collectively known as Southern Key Economic Zone.

Office Tower - NTCC’s kick off!!
NTCC will begin with the construction of our 15-storey Office Tower (Block H) which will be the first international standard high-rise office building in the heart of Nhon Trach. The elegance of the featured façade coupled with the creatively designed floor spaces shall fulfill every discerning owners’ differing investment requirements. Still hesitating? The following facts may help you decide:

- Total net floor area : approx. 16,448 m2 with typical sizes of about 76 m2 to 699 m2 / unit, or up to 1,480 m2 / floor.
- Spacious parking lots in basement and open car parks.
- Floor to ceiling height of 2.6m to 4.0m spreads out high-end visuals.
- Central air-conditioning system.
- 3 high speed passenger lifts and 1 service lift.
- Round-the-clock security services with CCTV surrounding the building.
- Managed by Professional Property Management Company.

Our elegant and first ever Office Tower in Nhon Trach is now opened for registration. It’s only 15 floors. Hurry and be amongst pioneer new owners!! For more details and registration, please contact us via :-

Marketing Hotline : +84 (933) 268 968

FX Currency Trading / Forex FX Trading Online - Know More

admin — Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:49 pm

Author: admin

Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:49 pm

Forex Trading – FX Trading

Foreign Exchange
This short introduction explains the basics of trading Forex online, a brief explanation of the markets and the major benefits of trading Forex online. There are also two scenarios describing the implications of trading in a bear as well as bull market to better acquaint you with some of the risks and opportunities in the largest and most liquid market in the world.

As an additional aid for those who are new to Forex, there is also a glossary at the bottom of this text which explains some of the terms used in connection with currency trading.

Overview
Foreign exchange , forex or just Forex are all terms used to describe the trading of the world's many currencies. The forex market is the largest market in the world, with trades amounting to more than $1.5 trillion every day. This is more than one hundred times the daily trading on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) . Most forex trading is speculative , with only a few percent of market activity representing governments' and companies' fundamental currency conversion needs.

Unlike trading on the stock market, the forex market is not carried out by a central exchange, but on the "interbank" market , which is thought of as an OTC (over the counter ) market. Trading takes place directly between the two counterparts necessary to make a trade, whether over the telephone or on electronic networks all over the world. The main centres for trading are Sydney, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and New York. This worldwide distribution of trading centres means that the forex market is a 24-hour market.

Trading Forex
A currency trade is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another one. The currency combination used in the trade is called a cross (for example, the Euro/US Dollar, or the GB Pound/Japanese Yen.). The most commonly traded currencies are the so-called "majors" - EURUSD, USDJPY, USDCHF and GBPUSD.

The most important forex market is the spot market as it has the largest volume. The market is called the spot market because trades are settled "immediately" or on the spot. In practice this means within two banking days.

Trading on Margin
Trading on margin means that you can buy and sell assets that represent more value than the capital in your account. Forex trading is usually done with relatively little margin since currency exchange rate fluctuations tend to be less than one or two percent on any given day. To take an example, a margin of 2.0% means you can trade up to $500,000 even though you only have $10,000 in your account. In terms of leverage this corresponds to 50:1, because 50 times $10,000 is $500,000, or put another way, $10,000 is 2.0% of $500.000. Using this much leverage gives you the possibility to make profits very quickly, but there is also a greater risk of incurring large losses and even being completely wiped out. Therefore, it is inadvisable to maximise your leveraging as the risks can be very high. For more information on the trading conditions at Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your Client Station and open the section entitled "Trading Conditions" found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.

Why trade Forex?

24 hour trading
One of the major advantages of trading forex is the opportunity to trade 24 hours a day from Sunday evening (20:00 GMT) to Friday evening (22:00 GMT). This gives you a unique opportunity to react instantly to breaking news that is affecting the markets.
Superior liquidity
The forex market is so liquid that there are always buyers and sellers to trade with. The liquidity of this market, especially that of the major currencies, helps ensure price stability and low spreads . The liquidity comes mainly from large and smaller banks that provide liquidity to investors, companies, institutions and other currency market players.
No commissions
The fact that forex is often traded without commissions makes it very attractive as an investment opportunity for investors who want to deal on a frequent basis. Trading the "majors" is also cheaper than trading other crosss because of the high level of liquidity. For more information on the trading conditions at Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your Client Station and open the section entitled "Trading Conditions" found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.
50:1 Leverage
With a minimum account of USD 10,000, for example, you can trade up to USD 500,000. The USD 10,000 is posted on margin as a guarantee for the future performance of your position.
Profit potential in falling markets
Since the market is constantly moving, there are always trading opportunities, whether a currency is strengthening or weakening in relation to another currency. When you trade currencies, they literally work against each other. If the EURUSD declines, for example, it is because the U.S. dollar gets stronger against the Euro and vice versa. So, if you think the EURUSD will decline (that is, that the Euro will weaken versus the dollar), you would sell EUR now and then later you buy Euro back at a lower price and take your profits. The opposite trading scenario would occur if the EURUSD appreciates .

Important Forex Trading Terms

Spread
The spread is the difference between the price that you can sell currency at ( Bid ) and the price you can buy currency at ( Ask ). The spread on majors is usually 5 pips under normal market conditions. For more information on the trading conditions at Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your Client Station and open the section entitled "Trading Conditions" found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.
Pips
A pip is the smallest unit by which a cross price quote changes. When trading forex you will often hear that there is a 5-pip spread when you trade the majors. This spread is revealed when you compare the bid and the ask price, for example EURUSD is quoted at a bid price of 0.9875 and an ask price of 0.9880. The difference is USD 0.0005, which is equal to 5 "pips". On a contract or position, the value of a pip can easily be calculated. You know that the EURUSD is quoted with four decimals, so all you have to do is the cancel-out the four zeros on the amount you trade and you will have one pip. Thus, on a EURUSD 100,000 contract, one pip is USD 10. On a USDJPY 100,000 contract, one pip is equal to 1000 yen, because USDJPY is quoted with only two decimals.

Trading Scenario - Trading Rising Prices
If you believe that the Euro will strengthen against the dollar you'll want to buy Euro now and sell it back later at a higher price.

You buy Euro	We quote EURUSD at Bid 0.9875 and Ask 0.9880, which means that you can sell 1 Euro for 0.9875 USD or buy 1 Euro for 0.9880 USD. In this example you buy Euro 100,000, at the quote price of 0.9880 (ask price) per Euro.
The market turns	Later the market turns in favour of the Euro and the EURUSD is now quoted at Bid 0.9894 and Ask 0.9899.
Now you want to sell your Euro and get the profit	You sell Euro at a Bid price of 0.9894.
The profit is calculated as follows:	Sell price-buy price x size of trade (0.9894 minus 0.9880) multiplied by 100.000 = $140 Profit (Note that the profit or loss is always expressed in the secondary currency )

Trading Scenario - Trading Falling Prices
If, on the other hand, you believe that the Euro will weaken against the dollar, you'll want to sell EURUSD.

You sell Euro	We quote EURUSD at a Bid price of 0.9875 and Ask price of 0.9880 and you decide to sellEuro 100,000 at a Bid price of 0.9875.
The market moves in your favour	The Euro weakens against the dollar and the EURUSD is now quoted at bid 0.9744 and ask 0.9749.
Now you buy back your Euro	You buy EUR at an ask price of 0.9749.
Your Profit/loss is then	Sell price-buy price x size of trade (0.9875 minus 0.9749) multiplied by 100.000 = $ 1260 Profit

Remember that trading EUR 100,000 as we have done in our examples, does not mean that you have to put up Euro 100,000 yourself. It means that you have to deposit 2.0% of Euro 100,000, which is Euro 2,000 on margin as a guarantee for the future performance of your position.

Further Reading
To see how you can trade the forex market and benefit from our toolbox of information and live quotes, please proceed to our Forex Quick Start found under the Trading menu on the toolbar, under Forex.

Glossary

Appreciation	Anincrease in the value of a currency.
Ask	Theprice at which you can buy. Traders also speak of an ask price,the price requested. This usually indicates the lowest price aseller will accept.
Basecurrency	Thecurrency that the investor buys or sells (i.e. EUR in EURUSD).
Bear	Someonewho believes prices are heading down. A bear market is one inwhich there is a sustained fall in prices and which does not looklike it will recover quickly.
Bid	Theprice at which you can sell. Traders also speak of a bid price,the price offered. This usually indicates the top price apurchaser will pay.
Bid/Ask	TheBid rate is the rate at which you sell. The Ask (or offer) rate isthe rate at which you can buy.
Bull	Someonewho is optimistic about the market. A bull market is characterisedby enthusiastic and sustained buying.
cross	Whentrading currencies, the investor buys one currency againstanother. These two currencies form the cross: for example, EURUSD.
Crossrate	Anexchange rate that is calculated from two other exchange rates.
Depreciation/decline	Afall in the value of a currency.
Exchangerate	Whatone currency is worth in terms of another, for example the $Amight be worth 58 US cents or 70 yen. Currencies traded freely onforeign-exchange markets have a spot rate (applying to tradessettled 'spot', ie, two working days hence) and a forward rate.Countries can determine their exchange rates in a variety of ways:a floating exchange rate system where the currency finds its ownlevel in the market; a crawling or flexible peg system which is acombination of an officially fixed rate and frequent smalladjustments which in theory work against a build-up of speculationabout a revaluation or devaluation; a fixed exchange-rate systemwhere the value of the currency is set by the government and/orthe central bank.
EURUSD	Meansthat you trade EUR against dollars. If you buy Euro you pay indollars and if you sell Euro you receive dollars.
FX,Forex, Foreign Exchange	Allnames for the transaction of one currency for another, e.g. youbuy £100.00 with $150.25 or sell $150.25 for £100.00.
Interbank	Short-term(often overnight) borrowing and lending between banks, as distinctfrom banks' business with their corporate clients or otherfinancial institutions.
Interestrate differential	Theyield spread between two otherwise comparable debt instrumentsdenominated in different currencies.
Leverage(gearing)	Inthis case leverage means that the investor only funds part of theamount traded.
Long	Tobuy.
Longposition	Aposition that increases its value if market prices increase.
Liquid(-ity)	Thecapacity to be converted easily and with minimum loss into cash.Ultra-short-dated treasury notes are an example of a liquidinvestment. A liquid market is one in which there is enoughactivity to satisfy both buyers and sellers.
Margin	Theinitial amount or deposit required when entering into a position.Margin is a guarantee for future performance.
NYSE	Acomputerised system providing brokers with the prices of sharesand securities traded on the New York stock exchange and over thecounter. The quotes are published in real-time.
Openposition	Aposition in a currency that has not yet been offset. For example,if you have bought 100,000 USDJPY, you have an open position inUSDJPY until you offset it by selling 100,000 USDJPY.
"Overthe counter"	Whentrading takes place directly between two parties, rather than onan exchange.
Pips	Apip is the smallest unit by which a cross price quote changes. Soif EURUSD bid is now quoted at 0.9767 and it moves up 2 pips, itwill now be quoted at 0.9769.
Position	Money-market,futures, foreign-exchange and sharemarket traders talk of 'takinga position' which simply means buying or selling one currencycross. 'Position' can also refer to a trader'scash/securities/currencies balance, whether he or she is short ofcash, has money to lend, is overbought or oversold in a currency,etc.
Risk	Tryingto control outcomes to a known or predictable range of gains orlosses. Risk management involves a set of steps which begin with asound understanding of one's business and the exposures or risksthat have to be covered to protect the value of that business.Then an assessment should be made of the types of variables thatcan affect the business and how best to protect against unwelcomeoutcomes. Consideration must also be given to the preferred riskprofile - whether one is risk- averse or fairly aggressive inapproach. This also involves deciding which instruments to use tomanage risk, and whether a natural hedge exists that can be used.Once undertaken, a risk-management strategy should be continuallyassessed for effectiveness and cost.
Secondarycurrency (variable currency or counter currency)	Thecurrency that the investor trades the base currency against (i.e.USD in EURUSD).
Shortposition	Aposition that benefits from a decline in market prices.
Short	Tosell.
Speculative	Buyingand selling in the hope of making a profit, rather than doing sofor some fundamental business-related need.
Spot	ASpot rate is the current market price of an asset.
Spotmarket	Thepart of the market calling for spot settlement of transactions.The precise meaning of 'spot' will depend on local custom for acommodity, security or currency. In the UK, US and Australianforeign-exchange markets, 'spot' means delivery two working dayshence.
Spread	Thedifference between the bid and the ask rate.

Today'sForex News
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Live Updates
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News

Israeli Forces Push Deeper Into Lebanon - ABC News

Lebanon News — Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Author: Lebanon News

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

WRAL.com

Israeli Forces Push Deeper Into Lebanon
ABC News - 57 minutes ago
Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Lebanon on Monday, entering a Hezbollah stronghold amid heavy fighting that wounded at least 10 Israeli soldiers, the ...
UN calls for $150m for war victims in Lebanon SABC News
UN calls for $150 mln for war victims in Lebanon Reuters AlertNet
ACT Alert: Lebanon crisis Reuters AlertNet
International Herald Tribune - CBC News - all 1,301 related

Rice sets out tough terms for Lebanon ceasefire - Irish Ind

Lebanon News — Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Author: Lebanon News

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:15 pm

Boston Globe

Rice sets out tough terms for Lebanon ceasefire
Irish Independent, Ireland - 45 minutes ago
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to Lebanon yesterday and insisted Hizbollah must release two Israeli soldiers and pull back from the border before ...
Rice visits Lebanon to push for "sustainable" peace People's Daily Online
Israel pushes deeper into Lebanon Chicago Tribune
Little sign of Lebanon truce as Rice visits Israel Reuters.uk
NDTV.com - New York Times - all 2,095 related

could someone translate this for me

Anonymous — Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:15 am

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:15 am

i was on another forum and a lebanese man said this to me could u translate it for me.

Mussi baydati ya a7be.

Financial Services, Planners, Offshore Banking - Know More

Anonymous — Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:27 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:27 pm

Financial Services, Planners, Offshore Banking - Know More

Dear members & guests

Due to the continuous marketing approach of our expatriate community by mutiple financial planners services company, Allo' Expat has decided to provided you with some usefull imformation on the Expat Offshore Banking issue. Hope you'll invest wisely..... in the future

Financial Advisors - who are they?

Q1 - How do I get the best offshore financial advice?

The best offshore financial advice is probably given by Independent Financial Advisors. Independent financial advisors (or IFA's, as they are sometimes called) advise their clients on savings, investments and pensions. They may also provide Savings Plans for offshore investing to their clients.

When counselling a client, the best offshore financial advisors should complete the following steps:

* Step 1 - collect detailed information about a client's financial circumstances and requirements ? be they for retirement planning, retirement income, expat investment, or another purpose.

* Step 2 - check all the offshore tax havens for the best offshore plans.

* Step 3 - provide impartial advice as to which plan(s) best meet their client's needs (in the form of a written report).

* Step 4 - arrange for a client to buy the chosen offshore plan(s) on the best terms available.

You may want to complete your own research to ensure you know the right questions to ask your advisor.

When all these stages are completed, you can be confident you have received the best offshore financial advice.

Q2 - What is a Certified Financial Advisor?

Financial advisors may need a license to practice, issued by the Financial Services Regulator in their Country. Only these advisors may be called 'Certified Financial Advisors'.

It may be a condition that prospective certified financial advisors show their Regulator that they are:

* competent to advise

* impartial in their advice

* independent of Providers

* covered by professional indemnity insurance.

So it is important to check that your financial advisor is listed under:

* Certified Financial Advisors, licensed to advise in the Country where you live and

* Independent Financial Advisors - advising on a wide range of offshore plans from a full list of providers.

Now you should feel confident you are receiving the best offshore financial advice.

Q3 - How are offshore financial advisors paid?

Independent financial advisors (IFA's) earn their living from commissions they receive from plan providers. This is their income for the offshore financial advice they give.

The commission that advisors (IFAs) receive from offshore financial advice cases may range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Good offshore financial advisors should not be influenced by the amount of commission they receive.

Some clients prefer to pay fees to their financial advisors for advice to ensure impartiality. When this occurs offshore financial advisors refund commission received from a plan provider either in cash or as an increased allocation of contributions invested.

Q4 -How do I find a list of Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs)?

Search the web! Try searching using the search words independent financial advisors or certified financial advisors PLUS the name of the Country in which you live.

Personal recommendations are always helpful - ask your friends if they would recommend their offshore financial advisors. Always check that a recommended advisor is both certified and independent.

Offshore Investing - What do that mean

Q1 - What is Offshore Investing or Offshore Investment?

When we talk about Offshore investing plan opportunities it is like the savings plans available in many countries, except these plans:

* Are registered in tax havens and are regulated by their Financial Services Authorities.

* Can be used for investing by non-residents of the tax havens.

* Are sometimes more tax efficient than or have other advantages over domestic savings plans.

Q2 - Why would expatriates choose offshore investing?

Expatriate investment in the savings plans catalogued here and offering offshore investing opprotunities might be appropriate when:

* No local or Home Country tax free regular savings plans are available.

* No local or Home Country tax free lump sum investment plans are available.

* An expatriate is planning to retire to a third country.

If you fit any of these categories of expatriates you should investigate the offshore plans researched by Offshore Boffin and consult your Financial Advisor.

Q3 - Are there other people who might benefit from Offshore Invesment?

Yes. People who are not living abroad might find offshore investment attractive in the following circumstances:

* They have more cash available for savings than can be invested tax free in their resident countries' investment plans (perhaps because the amount they can invest each year is capped).

* They may live in countries which do not have domestic tax free savings plans.

* They live in countries which are not suitable long-term investment environments for political or economic reasons.

* They wish to limit the effects of inheritance tac on their estates.

Q4 - Is there safe offshore investing?

The answer is that All investors should remember that the value of ALL their investments can go down as well as up!

Safe offshore investing is more likely by choosing plans:

* From politically stable tax havens - the quality of tax havens varies.

* From well-regulated tax havens - the tax havens whose savings plans are catalogued here all regulate their financial services companies to avoid 'fly-by-night' companies.

* From reputable investment management and life assurance companies - whilst past performance is not always a guide to the future, the companies whose savings plans are listed here are all well-known names.

* Investing in 'mutual' or 'collective' funds. these funds are based on a simple idea. If a large number of investors pool their savings in - for example - an equity fund, the larger fund can be invested in shares in many companies, spreading each individual's risk.

For expat investment - and others - to be successful the best offshore investment opportunities must be found. For that you'll need a good Financial Advisors.

Visa To Lebanon / Lebanon Immigration Guide

Anonymous — Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:16 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:16 pm

VISA TO LEBANON / LEBANON IMMIGRATION GUIDE

Restricted entry:

The Government of Lebanon refuses entry to holders of Israeli and Palestinian passports, holders of passports containing a visa for Israel, valid or expired, used or unused and passports with entry stamps to Israel.

PASSPORTS:

Passport valid for six months required by all except nationals of the Syrian Arab Republic arriving from their country with a valid national ID.

VISAS:

Required by all except the following:

(a) nationals of the Syrian Arab Republic for unlimited stays, provided arriving directly from the Syrian Arab Republic (check with Embassy for current regulations);

(b) nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for stays of up to three months;

(c) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft, provided holding onward or return documentation and not spending the night at, or leaving, the airport.

Note :
1. The following can obtain their visas on arrival at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry at the Lebanese border, providing passport holders do not possess an Israeli stamp, and they hold return or onward tickets:

(a) nationals of countries listed in the chart above, except nationals of Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia who must obtain a visa prior to arrival;

(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China (PR), Costa Rica, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Switzerland and Venezuela. The above list is subject to frequent changes. All visitors requiring a visa should contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) before leaving for details about where to obtain their visa; see Contact Addresses section.

Types of visa and cost:
Visitor and Business: £25 (single-entry); £50 (multiple-entry).
Transit (available at the border): US$25.

Validity:

Visitor visas are generally issued for stays of up to three months.

Application to:

Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements:

(a) Valid passport.
(b) Two completed application forms.
(c) Two passport-size photos.
(d) Fee payable by cash or postal order only.
(e) For Visitor visas, a letter of invitation from Lebanese host or confirmation of accommodation booking from travel agent.
(f) For Business visas, a letter of invitation from the Lebanese host company and/or the applicant’s company in country of origin.
(g) Stamped, self-addressed, registered envelope for postal applications.
Note: Children under 18 years old require written consent from their parents/guardian before their visa can be processed.

Working days required:
One to two days.

Temporary residence:
Formalities for temporary residence will be arranged in Lebanon. For details of student and employment visas, enquire at Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

LEBANON PROFILE : Lebanon Country Profile

Anonymous — Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:12 pm

Author: Anonymous

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:12 pm

LEBANON PROFILE : Lebanon Country Profile

The Republic of Lebanon, or Lebanon (لبنان), is a small, largely mountainous country in the Middle East, located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south, with a narrow coastline along its western edge. The flag of Lebanon features the Lebanon Cedar in green against a wide, white stripe backdrop, with two thinner red stripes alongside.

The name Lebanon (also "Loubnan" or "Lebnan") is derived from the Aramaic word laban, meaning "white", a reference to the snow-capped Mount Lebanon.

History of Lebanon

Lebanon is one of the main regions of the Phoenicians, Semitic traders whose maritime culture flourished for more than 2,000 years, roughly from 2700 to 500 BC. The region was a territory of the Roman Empire in the province of Syria and during the Middle Ages was important in the Crusades. It was then taken by the Ottoman Empire.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the League of Nations mandated the five provinces that make up present-day Lebanon to France.

Modern Lebanon's constitution, drawn up in 1926, specified a balance of political power among the major religious groups.

The country gained independence in 1943, and French troops withdrew in 1946. Lebanon's history from independence has been marked by alternating periods of political stability and turmoil (including a leadership crisis in 1958 marked by the intervention of US Marines) interspersed with prosperity built on Beirut's position as a regional center for finance and trade.

(1975-1990) Lebanese Civil War

Until the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, was noted for its wide boulevards, French-style architecture, and modernity, and was called the Paris of the Middle East. Lebanon as a whole was known as the Switzerland of the Middle East (Sweesra Al Shark), enjoying a similar conflict-free status title as Costa Rica in Central America and (until recently) Uruguay in South America.

Beginning of the war

After the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, Lebanon became home to more than 110,000 Palestinian refugees who had fled from Israel. More Palestinian refugees arrived after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and Black September, and by 1975 numbered more than 300,000, led by Yassir Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). During the early 1970s difficulties arose over the increase of Palestinian refugees in the south, and full-scale civil war broke out in April 1975, leaving the nation with no effective central government. On one side were a number of mostly Maronite militias, the most important of which was linked to the Phalangist Party; its commander was Bachir Gemayel. The other side comprised a coalition of Palestinians, Sunni, and Druze forces.

Syrian occupation

By early 1976, the war was going poorly for the Maronites, and Syria sent 40,000 troops into Lebanon to prevent them from being overrun; that Baathist Syrians were fighting against Palestinian forces was and remains ironic. In the same year, the Palestinian militia committed the Damour massacre. By 1978, many of the Maronites had become convinced that the Syrians were occupying Lebanon for reasons of their own, and by September that year, they were openly feuding. Syrian forces remained in Lebanon, effectively dominating its government, into the first years of the 21st century.

Israeli occupation

Cross-border attacks from Lebanon against Israeli territory led to an Israeli invasion on March 15 1978, in what was titled the Litani River Operation. Israel withdrew thirteen days later, in response to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 425 of March 19, and the establishment of an international peace-keeping force for South Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Second Israeli Occupation

The PLO's armed forces continued to use Lebanon as a base to attack Israel with rockets and artillery, and in 1982 Israel again invaded Lebanon with the objective of evicting the PLO. Israeli forces occupied areas from the southern Lebanese border with Israel northward into areas of Beirut. During this invasion the Phalangist militia, under the command of Elie Hobeika, moved into the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, with the knowledge of Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, and committed the first Sabra and Shatila massacre. Israel's plans for Lebanon suffered a severe setback on September 14, 1982, with the assassination of the Phalangist leader and President-elect Bachir Gemayel, who was regarded as secretly sympathetic to Israel.

International mediation

A multinational force landed in Beirut on August 20, 1982 to oversee the PLO withdrawal from Lebanon and US mediation resulted in the evacuation of Syrian troops and PLO fighters from Beirut.

This period saw the rise of radicalism among the country's factions, and a number of landmark terrorist attacks against American forces, including the destruction of the US Embassy by a truck bomb and an even deadlier attack on the US Marines barracks. Concurrently, in 1982 Hezbollah was created by some old members of Amal with other religious clerics.

1988 and 1989 saw unprecedented chaos. The Parliament failed to elect a successor to President Amine Gemayel (who had replaced his slain brother Bachir in 1982), whose term expired on 23 September. Fifteen minutes before his term expired, Gemayel appointed an interim administration headed by the army commander, General Michel Aoun. His predecessor, Selim al-Hoss, refused to accept his dismissal in Aoun's favour. Lebanon was thus left with no President, and two rival governments that feuded for power, along with more than 40 private militias.

End of the war

The 1989 Arab League-sponsored Taif Agreement marked the beginning of the end of the war. It is estimated that more than 100,000 were killed, and 100,000 maimed during the 15-year war. On May 22, 2000, Israel unilaterally completed its withdrawal from the south of Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425 of 1978. On September 2 2004, the United Nations Security Council, recalling previous resolutions, especially 425 (1978), 520 (1982) and 1553 (July 2004), approved Resolution 1559, sponsored by the US and France, demanding that Syria, though not mentioned by name, should withdraw its troops from Lebanon. "All foreign forces should withdraw from Lebanon" to allow free elections.

Reconstruction

The country is recovering from the effects of the war, with foreign investment and tourism on the rise. Syrian forces occupied large areas of the country until April 2005 (see Cedar Revolution below), and Iran exercises heavy influence over Hezbollah forces in the Beqaa Valley and Southern Lebanon. Nevertheless, areas of Lebanon and Beirut in particular are moving toward a sense of normality and stability. Lebanese civil society enjoys significantly more freedoms than elsewhere in the Arab world.

Cedar Revolution (Intifada of Independence)

Note: Although international media prefer calling it the "Cedar Revolution", Lebanese called it the Intifada of Independence

Hariri assassination

On February 14, 2005, after 10 years of relative political stability, Lebanon was shaken by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a car-bomb explosion. It is widely believed that Syria was responsible for the attack (though it denies any involvement), because of its extensive military and intelligence presence in Lebanon, as well as the public rift between Hariri and Damascus over the extension of President Lahoud's term. After Hariri's assassination, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt alleged that a shaken Hariri had told him months before that he was personally threatened by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a 15-minute meeting in the Syrian capital Damascus in August 2004: "[President of Lebanon] Lahoud is me. ... If you and Chirac want me out of Lebanon, I will break Lebanon.". Jumblatt said "When I heard him telling us those words, I knew that it was his condemnation of death." This testimony is contained, but not confirmed, in the UN's FitzGerald Report, issued 24 March 2005. Up to this point, no person or party has been directly accused of the murder. The Report has called for a further, much more extensive international inquiry. This has been seconded by the UN Secretary General and agreed to by the Lebanese government, but with reservations about respect for Lebanese sovereignty and the participation (not supremacy) of Lebanese agencies.

Hariri's rift with Assad began with Hariri's vehement opposition to the Syrian-backed constitutional amendment that extended pro-Syrian president Lahoud's term in office. Hariri resigned over the incident.

Some sources reported that upon hearing purportedly leaked information from the United Nations' special investigation report that the Lebanese authorities had covered up evidence of the murder, Hariri's two sons fled Lebanon after being warned that they too were in danger of assassination. However, both sons strenuously denied these claims, asserting that they were called away by business which had been on hold since their father's murder.

Demonstrations

The assassination resulted in huge anti-Syrian protests by Lebanese citizens in Beirut demanding the resignation of the pro-Syrian government. Following the examples of the Rose Revolution and Orange Revolution in 2004, the popular action was dubbed the "Cedar Revolution" by the US State Department, a name which quickly caught on among the international media. On February 28, 2005, as over 70,000 people demonstrated in Martyrs' Square, Prime Minister Omar Karami and his Cabinet resigned, after the parliament named him twice to assemble the cabinet, as a part of the constitution, they remained in office temporarily in a caretaker role prior to the appointment of replacements.

In response, Hezbollah organized a large counter-demonstration, staged on March 8 in Beirut, supporting Syria and accusing Israel and the United States of meddling in internal Lebanese affairs. Hezbollah is a secondary target of Resolution 1559, which demands all Lebanese militias be disarmed; it has since been trying to rally masses to protest against foreign intervention. This demonstration was much larger than earlier anti-Syrian protests. Anti-Syrian protests have been subjected to controversy, due to extensive anti-Syrian agitation by the Hariri-owned Future TV Lebanese network and other Hariri-linked media outlets, which dwarf Hezbollah's. CNN noted some news agencies estimated the crowd at 200,000, the Associated Press news agency estimated that there were nearly 500,000 pro-Syrian protestors, while the New York Times and Los Angeles Times simply estimated "hundreds of thousands". Al Jazeera reported a figure of 1.5 million, citing an unnamed official and the television station run by Amal.

On March 14, one month after Hariri's assassination, approximately 800 thousand [citation needed] rallied in Martyrs' Square, in the largest gathering to date. Protestors of all sects (even including a number of Shiites) marched for the truth of Hariri's murder and for what they call independence from Syrian occupation. The march reiterated their will for a sovereign, democratic, and unified country, free of Syria's hegemony.

In the weeks following the demonstrations, bombs were detonated in Christian areas near Beirut. Although the damages were mostly material, these acts demonstrate the danger of Lebanon relapsing into sectarian strife.

Parliamentary elections

After weeks of unsuccessful negotiations to form a new government, Prime Minister Omar Karami resigned the post for the third time in his political career on 13 April 2005. Two days later, Najib Mikati, a US-educated millionaire businessman and former Minister of Transportation and Public Works, was appointed Prime Minister-designate. A moderate pro-Syrian, Mikati secured the post through the support of the Opposition, which had previously boycotted such negotiations.

During the first parliamentary elections held after the Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2005, the anti-Syrian coalition of Sunni Muslim, Druze and Christian parties led by Saad Hariri, son of assassinated ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, won a majority of seats in the new Parliament.

The combinations were interesting in that in some areas the anti-Syrian coalition allied with Hezbollah and others with Amal. They did not win the two-thirds majority required to force the resignation of Syrian-appointed President Lahoud, due to the unexpectedly strong showing of retired army general Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement party in Mount Lebanon. Aoun is the dominant Christian figure in the new parliament. Known previously for his strong anti-Syrian sentiment, Aoun aligned with politicians who were friendly to the Syrians in the past decade: Soleiman Franjieh Jr and Michel Murr. Their alliance dominated the North and the Matn district of Mount Lebanon. Saad Hariri and Walid Joumblat joined forces with the two staunchly pro-Syrian Shiite movements, Hezbollah and Amal, to secure major wins in the South, Bekaa, and Baabda-Aley district of Mount Lebanon.

New government

After the elections, Hariri's Future Movement party, now the country's dominant political force, nominated Fouad Siniora, a former Finance Minister, to be Prime Minister. His newly formed representative government has obtained the vote of confidence from the parliament despite the lack of representation of Gen. Aoun.

On July 18, Lebanon's newly elected parliament, dominated by an anti-Syrian coalition, approved a motion to pardon Samir Geagea, who had spent most of the past 11 years in solitary confinement in an underground cell with no access to news. The motion was endorsed by pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud the next day.

Criminal investigation

On September 1, four current and former officials of Lebanon--Maj Gen Jamil al-Sayyad, former head of General Security, Maj Gen Ali Hajj, former chief of police, Brig Gen Raymond Azar, former military intelligence chief, and Mustafa Hamdan, Republican Guard commander--were charged in the connection with Hariri's assassination.

On October 21, Detlev Mehlis, lead investigator in the UN Hariri Probe released the report of the investigation. The report said that "many leads point to the direct involvement of Syrian Officials". On the press conference Mr. Mehlis insisted that part of the names in the report "were given by a witness whose reliability required further investigation", and he would have removed more names under the presumption of innocence, had he known that the report would become public.

Withdrawal of Syrian troops
Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, the top Syrian ally in the Lebanese security forces, resigned on 25 April 2005. The following day the last 250 Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon.

During the departure ceremonies, Syria's chief of staff, Gen. Ali Habib, said that Syria's president had decided to recall his troops after the Lebanese army had been "rebuilt on sound national foundations and became capable of protecting the state."

UN forces led by Senegalese Brig. Gen. Mouhamadou Kandji were sent to Lebanon to verify the military withdrawal which was mandated by Security Council resolution 1559.

Politics of Lebanon

President: Emile Lahoud
Prime Minister: Fouad Siniora

Lebanon is a republic in which the three highest offices are reserved for members of specific religious groups:

the President must be a Maronite Christian,
the Prime Minister must be a Sunni Muslim, and
the Speaker of the Parliament must be a Shi'a Muslim.
the seat for the Minister of Defence must be a Druze.

This arrangement is part of the "National Pact" (al Mithaq al Watani), an unwritten agreement which was established in 1943 during meetings between Lebanon's first president (a Maronite) and its first prime minister (a Sunni), although it was not formalized in the Constitution until 1990, following the Taif Agreement. The pact included a promise by the Christians not to seek French protection and to accept Lebanon's "Arab face", and a Muslim promise to recognize the independence and legitimacy of the Lebanese state in its 1920 boundaries and to renounce aspirations for union with Syria. This pact was thought at the time to be an interim compromise, necessary until Lebanon formed its own sense of a national identity. Its continued existence and the fallout from subsequent civil wars continue to dominate politics in Lebanon.

The pact also stipulated that seats in the Parliament would be allocated by religion and region, in a ratio of 6 Christians to 5 Muslims, a ratio based on the 1932 census, which was taken at a time when Christians still had a slight majority. The Taif Agreement adjusted the ratio to grant equal representation to followers of the two religions, but some argue that they still do not reflect current demographics: owing to a higher Muslim birthrate and a higher rate of emigration among Christians, Muslims are now believed to have a slight majority, 59 percent of the population counting the Druze. However a majority of Lebanese living abroad are Christians.

The Constitution grants the people the right to change their government. However, from the mid-1970s until the parliamentary elections in 1992, civil war precluded the exercise of political rights. According to the constitution, direct elections must be held for the parliament every four years. The last parliament election was in 2000; the election due to be held in 2004 was postponed for one year.

The parliament composition is based on more ethnic and religious identities rather than ideological features. The distribution of parliament seats has been modified recently.

The Parliament elects the President of the republic to a six-year term. Consecutive terms for the president are forbidden. This constitutional rule has been bypassed by ad-hoc amendment twice in recent history, however, at the urging of the Syrian government. Elias Hrawi's term, which was due to end in 1995, was extended for three years. This procedure was repeated in 2004 to allow Emile Lahoud to remain in office until 2007. Pro-democracy campaigners denounced the moves.

The last presidential election was in 1998. The President appoints the Prime Minister on the nomination of the Parliament. Lebanon has numerous political parties, but their role is less important than in most parliamentary systems. Most represent, in practice if not in theory, sectarian interests; many are little more than ad-hoc lists of candidates endorsed by a well-known national or local figure. Electoral tickets are often formed on a constituency-by-constituency basis by negotiation among local leaders of clans, religious groups, and political parties; these loose coalitions generally exist only for the election and rarely form cohesive blocs in the Parliament subsequently.

Lebanon's judicial system is based on the Napoleonic Code. Juries are not used in trials. The Lebanese court system has three levels - courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the court of cassation. There also is a system of religious courts having jurisdiction over personal status matters within their own communities, with rules on matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Lebanese law does not provide for Civil marriage (although it recognizes such marriages contracted abroad); efforts by former President Elias Hrawi to legalize civil marriage in the late 1990s foundered on objections mostly from Muslim clerics.

Lebanon has been under Syrian domination since 1990. More information is available here. Many Lebanese are unhappy with what they see as the undue influence exerted by the Syrian government over their affairs. The pro-Syrian administration of Emile Lahoud has curbed freedom of speech, and has attempted (successfully, until recently) to ban demonstrations. Recently, after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, international pressure on Syria was dramatically increased, demanding a complete and immediate withdrawal of its forces, including intelligence personnel, from Lebanon.

On Monday February 28, 2005, the Syrian-backed government of Prime Minister Omar Karami announced its resignation, staying on in a caretaker role. However, Karami was reappointed and asked to head a national unity government on Wednesday March 9, 2005, one day after a massive demonstration expressing support for Syria. Negotiations over the formation of the national unity government have stalled, however, over the demands of some politicians for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian forces, and over the reluctance of others (such as Walid Jumblatt) to serve in a government under President Lahoud.

On March 14, the anti-Syrian opposition party responded with a protest that by an Associated Press estimate by reporters on the scene put the number at much higher than the approximately 500,000 (around a million ) who attended the 8 March pro-Syrian rally, however, CNN and The Guardian estimated the crowd at only 200,000, in line with their estimates for the March 8 rally.

Administrative divisions

Lebanon is divided into six governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah), which are further subdivided into 25 districts (Aqdya, singular - qadaa), also divided into several municipalities englobing a group of cities or villages.

Geography of Lebanon

A Middle Eastern country, Lebanon is demarcated to the west by the Mediterranean (Coast: 225 kilometres) and to the east by the Syro-African Depression. Lebanon borders Syria for 375 kilometres to the north and to the east and Israel for 79 kilometres to the south. The border with Israel has been approved by the United Nations (see Blue Line (Lebanon)), although a small piece of land called "Shebaa Farms" located in the Golan Heights is claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel, who claim that it is actually Syrian land. The UN has officially declared this region not to be Lebanese territory, but Hizbulla occasionally launches attacks against Israeli positions within it.

Economy of Lebanon

Lebanon has a competitive and free market regime and a strong laissez-faire commercial tradition. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented; main growth sectors include banking and tourism. There are no restrictions on foreign exchange or capital movement, and bank secrecy is strictly enforced. Lebanon has recently adopted a law to combat money laundering. There are practically no restrictions on foreign investment.

The 1975-1991 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Peace has enabled the central government to restore control in Beirut, begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers, with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign exchange.

Demographics of Lebanon

The population of Lebanon comprises different ethnic groups and religions: Muslims: (Shi'ites and Sunnis), Christians (Maronite Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Greek-Catholic Melkites, Armenians, Copts) and others (including the Druze and Alawite sects). No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (religious) balance. It is estimated that a slight majority of the resident population is Muslim; the rest is Christian, predominantly Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, Chaldeans, Copts as well as a minority of Protestants. There is a small minority of Jews, mostly living in the eastern region of Beirut. Also, a small community (less than 1%) of Kurds (also known as Mhallamis or Mardins) live in Lebanon. There are approximately 15 million people of Lebanese descent, mainly Christians, spread all over the world.

While 360,000 Palestinian refugees have registered in Lebanon with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) since 1948, estimates of those remaining range between 160,000 and 225,000.

The urban population, concentrated mainly in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, is noted for its commercial enterprise. A century and a half of migration and return have produced Lebanese commercial networks around the globe from North and South America to Europe, the Gulf, and Africa. Lebanon has a high proportion of skilled labor compared with many other Middle Eastern countries.

Culture of Lebanon

Lebanon has been a major crossroads of civilizations for millennia, so it is perhaps unsurprising that this small country would possess an extraordinarily rich and vibrant culture. Lebanon's wide array of ethnic and religious groups contributes to the country's rich cuisine, musical and literary traditions, and festivals. Beirut in particular has a very vibrant arts scene, with numerous performances, exhibits, fashion shows, and concerts held throughout the year in its galleries, museums, theaters, and public spaces. Lebanese society is modern, educated, and very comparable to other European societies of the Mediterranean. Despite their European resemblance, the Lebanese are proud of their Levantine heritage and have made Lebanon and in particular Beirut, the cultural center of the Arab world. Lebanon is a member state of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. This is why most Lebanese are bilingual, speaking Arabic and French; however, English has become very popular, especially among university students. The country is not only where Christianity intermingles with Islam, but Lebanon is also the Arab gateway to Europe and the European bridge to the Arab world.

Lebanon also hosts several prestigious universities, including the American University of Beirut, the public Lebanese University, and the Université Saint-Joseph.

Several international festivals are held in Lebanon, featuring world-renowned artists and drawing crowds from Lebanon and abroad. Among the most famous are the summer festivals at Baalbeck, Beiteddine, and Byblos, where the elite and eclectic line-ups perform against the backdrop of some of Lebanon's most famous and spectacular historical sites.

Foreign relations of Lebanon

The foreign policy of Lebanon reflects its geographic location, the composition of its population, and its reliance on commerce and trade. Lebanon's foreign policy has been heavily influenced by Syria, which maintained forces throughout parts of Lebanon prior to the Cedar Revolution.

Lebanon concluded negotiations on an association agreement with the European Union in late 2001, and both sides initialled the accord in January 2002. Lebanon also has bilateral trade agreements with several Arab states and is in the process of accession to the World Trade Organization. Lebanon enjoys good relations with virtually all of its Arab neighbors (despite historic tensions with Libya, the Palestinians, and Iraq). Lebanon also is a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference and maintains a close relationship with Iran.

Lebanon does not have diplomatic or trade relations with Israel. In May 1983 Israel and the Christian government of Lebanon signed a de facto peace treaty that would have established bilateral ties but this treaty has been abrogated. Lebanon's official stance on relations with Israel is that relations can only happen after a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian settlement and a return of the Golan Heights to Syria.

Lebanon and Israel have one remaining boundary dispute, over a district in southern Lebanon, on the north side of the Golan Heights, called Shebaa Farms. Lebanon claims that the Shebaa farms are occupied Lebanese territory, while Israel claims they are occupied Syrian territory (and thus should be dealt with in an Israel-Syrian treaty). Lebanon would also like Israel to take back a quarter million Palestinian refugees, who have been in Lebanon for decades.

Source : Wikipedia