In Le Weekender, L”Orient-Le Jour offers you a selection of articles to (re)read during the weekend. To take a break, disconnect (a little) from news that is often too dark or even discover beautiful Lebanese stories.
On the dance floor of the Beast House, which officially opened in March. Photo DR
When Thursday Night Fever (Officially) Comes to Riyadh
After the arrival of the diva Mariah Carey, the group Black Eyed Peas, the DJ Jean-Michel Jarre and the artists Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, David Guetta and Pharell Williams, Saudi youth have been enjoying the opening of the first… nightclub for a few months now! Follow Amélie Zaccour on the dancefloor.
Photo Clara Hage
From Bedouin Legends to Orientalist Fantasies: A Short History of Arab Hospitality
You won’t be able to leave the table before having gained 2 kilos: whether in Syria, Lebanon or the Emirates, the competition is tough in the region to obtain the title of champion of hospitality. Clara Hage and Guilhem Dorandeu trace the history of Arab hospitality.
Illustration Jaimee Haddad
A fading myth: the Lebanese mezze
An exasperated Lebanese man breaks a taboo. It is September 10, 1971. The turmoil of the “Palestinian affair” is already violent. But the war is still a figment of the imagination. The atmosphere is light, the restaurants are full, the tourist industry is running at full speed. Sleiman Khateb, for his part, regrets the excesses of a society swimming in abundance, driven by the lure of gain and immediate pleasure. An indictment against the vulgarization of Lebanese “savoir-vivre” to read here.
All articles from 100 years of The Orient-The Day can be found on our dedicated site: The Orient-The Century
View of Beirut. Photo GB
The great deleveraging of the Lebanese private sector
In 2018, Hadi bought a property on credit, for 300 million Lebanese pounds, with monthly payments of between 6.5 and 5.5 million pounds. In 2023, when the national currency has lost more than 98% of its value, its last draft amounted to the equivalent of 55 dollars, compared to 4,300 initially: a bargain. Like him, 609,896 buyers took advantage of such a situation. Fouad Gemayel tells you about it.
If you missed last week’s Weekender
Lebanese Rum, Cuisine and De Gaulle in Beirut: The Weekender
“Petit Pays”: find out why Ralph Doumit recommends this comic book to you
What if you discovered a new comic strip? This month, follow author and designer Ralph Doumit’s favorite. He recommends the comic strip “Petit Pays” by Gaël Faye, Sylvain Savoia and Marzena Sowa. Find his literary criticism in full on the L’Orient Littéraire website.
The Saloua Raouda Choucair Museum in Ras el-Metn. Photo Ieva Saudargaité/Saloua Raouda Choucair Foundation
Doyenne of abstract art in the Arab world, Saloua Raouda Choucair now has her own museum
To mark the 108th anniversary of the birth of Saloua Raouda Choucair, her only daughter Hala Choucair Gharzeddine dedicates a museum to her. Opened in Ras el-Metn, installed in a pine forest, the building itself, designed by architect Karim Begdache, is worth the detour. Follow our guide, May Makarem.
Lebanese Étienne el-Chaer broke the weight lifting world record on Saturday in the “Open Men’s Classic – 105.01 kg to 120 kg” category of the classic powerlifting world championship in Lithuania. Screenshot of his performance broadcast by the International Powerlifting Federation on YouTube
396 kg: Lebanese weightlifter Étienne el-Chaer breaks a third world record
And three world records! Lebanese Étienne el-Chaer broke the world record for weight lifting in the “Open Men’s Classic – 105.01 kg to 120 kg” category of the classic powerlifting world championship. The young man still lifted… 396 kg! Julien Ricour-Brasseur tells you about it.
The Orangery of the Senate in preparation for the Salon. Photo Yannis Muaka Nunes
In Paris, lifting the veil on emerging Emirati art
On the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the Société nationale des beaux-arts, the institution returns to the Jardin du Luxembourg, in Paris. This space welcomes artists from all over the world, and for the first time, an Arab delegation from the United Arab Emirates. Clément Camil Mounzer gives you the tour.
In Le Weekender, L’Orient-Le Jour offers you a selection of articles to (re)read during the weekend. To take a break, disconnect (a little) from often too dark news or discover beautiful Lebanese stories. On the dance floor of the Beast House, whose official inauguration took place in March. Photo DRWhen Thursday night fever invites itself (officially) to…
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