Hostility against Gulf visitors hurts Lebanon

Kassar: GCC countries are at the core of our
economy, targeting them is against our interests

“Aggressive actions by any Lebanese group against Arab countries, mainly GCC countries, will backfire on Lebanon’s economy,” Adnan Kassar, the president of the economic associations said on Thursday.

The former minister condemned acts of intimidation perpetrated against all visitors, mainly those from the Gulf. He said the GCC is at the core of the country's strong economy, and that offending Gulf countries is against the national interests: “The GCC countries stood by Lebanon's side in the midst of its plight during the 2006 war, providing the country with financial and political backing. GCC countries are home to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who work and live there.”

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain told their citizens to leave the country at once yesterday over direct threats to their safety. Kassar contacted the ambassadors of these five countries, and urged politicians to work for the unconditional release of all abductees in Lebanon and in Syria.

Reported by Hanadi Chami