Middle East Experience

Artist Mouza Al Mansoori shared she sold 17 pieces, and looked forward to buying a few herself..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: World Art Dubai 2020: Creativity, diversity and responsibility, and it’s a wrap

Lebanon is suffering from a chicken shortage as businesses complain government policy has made the meat unaffordable.In the past weeks, butchers and supermarkets in Lebanon have run short of staple chicken products such as chicken breasts, shish tawouq, chicken wings and others.Butchers and business owners blame the Ministry of Economy for the shortage. For almost two months, the ministry has required shops to sell chicken at a fixed rate of 1kg for 19,000 Lebanese lira – $12.5 according to the official rate of 1,515 to the dollar, yet only around $2 as per the black market exchange rate of 8,850 – to ensure it remains affordable.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.But according to one business owner, the government stopped providing a subsidy to shops three weeks ago while keeping the mandatory selling price in place.Business owners have since complained that cartels running the chicken industry are selling their products to shops at a much higher price – making stocking chicken unprofitable and leading to shortages in small shops.“The ministry is supporting major cartels of chicken producers and traders by subsidizing the price of chicken breasts at 19,000 lira and forcing small business owners and butcheries to sell accordingly. We cannot do so and consumers cannot afford purchasing it,” said Omar, who runs a small chicken place in a heavily congested residential area in Beirut.Read more: Lebanon’s caretaker PM warns of ‘social explosion’ if central bank ends subsidiesOmar said he buys his chicken from a farm in Bekaa Valley for 14,000 lira per kg, sells it for 16,000, only making the marginal profit of 2,000 because he doesn’t want to lose more customers as the Lebanese economy continues to tank.A customer entered Omar’s shop while Al Arabiya English was present and asked for a chicken. Hearing the price, she remarked “that’s too expensive,” and left.“There you go. We’re losing clients. Earlier we used to sell the kilogram of chicken for 5,000 lira … this issue has tripled the prices,” said Omar. Lebanon is beset by inflation following the devaluation of the Lebanese lira and a broader economic crisis made worse by the August 4 Beirut explosion, which devastated much of the capital and destroyed the country’s main site for imports.One butcher who also asked to remain anonymous tied the issue to wider political corruption.“It has become obvious. The problem is political like everything in Lebanon. The chicken cartels [four or five major chicken producers and traders] are lobbying against butchers and small business owners wanting to dominate the market. Those lobbyists are covered and supported by political parties,” they said.Another butcher concurred, blaming the Ministry of Economy for the issue.“We all know who is controlling the market … it is the giant chicken producers and dealers. I have lost all my clients who consume chicken. Today [Tuesday] a housewife called and placed an order of four pieces of chicken breast and when I arranged from another place, I told her that the price is 37,000 lira … she canceled the order. We cannot survive like that,” said Khodor F.The issue has also hit customers who rely on chicken as a staple source of protein.Living in a Beirut outskirt, Mona Bassem, a working mother said she visited five supermarkets in her area but couldn’t find any chicken breasts.“I prepare for my family’s meals over the weekend. Chicken is a major component of our dishes as my children love it. Since I heard that the authorities will stop subsidizing some poultry products, due to the country’s dire economic situation, I rushed to the supermarket to get extra chicken stocks and freeze them in my refrigerator. Last Friday, I couldn’t find any chicken breast. Saturday, I purchased extra amounts of chicken breasts and put them in the freezer,” Mona told Al Arabiya English.On Tuesday, the Economy Minister, Raoul Nehme, and the Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Mourtada, in Lebanon’s caretaker cabinet issued a joint decision fixing the prices of meat and poultry and their derivatives – confirming the 19,000 price for chicken breasts and providing a long pricing list for other products.The joint decision followed negotiations with the relevant unions, who promised to commit to the newly fixed prices and to provide the necessary quantities of goods to avoid any price manipulation. The decision also came to secure stability in the prices of goods linked, directly or indirectly, to the subsidy granted by the Lebanese Central Bank and based on the increase in the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market.A media statement said the decision is valid for the next three months from its date of issuance and is subject to amendments whenever the circumstances require so and failure to adhere to the price ceilings by any party will be subject to legal action.Read more:‘Toughest days I’ve ever seen’: Lebanon on the brink of an abyssUS Senators request temporary sanctions waivers for LebanonLebanon’s Saad Hariri says he’s open to becoming PM again, warns of civil war
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanon hit by chicken shortage as butchers blame cartels amid economic crisis

Ethiopia has decided to ban flying over the Renaissance Dam that it is building on the Blue Nile in a move thought to deepen the years-old conflict.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: How Egypt perceives Ethiopia’s ban of flights over Nile dam

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed 1,096 new coronavirus cases after conducting 133,935 COVID-19 tests in a 24-hour period, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced on Sunday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The significantly high number of tests is part of the health ministry’s plan to expand the scope of testing in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.In addition to the new cases, another 1,311 recoveries were also recorded over the past 24 hours.Meanwhile, NCEMA confirmed two people who had tested positive for coronavirus have died due to complications.Read more:Dubai business conditions improve amid COVID-19 spikeOman to impose movement ban starting from Oct. 11UK study tests if tuberculosis vaccine protects against COVID-19
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE confirms 1,096 COVID-19 cases after 133,935 in single day

Iran’s nuclear chief and former foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi has tested positive for coronavirus, state media reported on Sunday.Read more: Where Russia, Turkey, Iran stand in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflictSalehi, who heads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), tested positive for coronavirus on October 3, the official IRNA news agency reported citing a press release by the AEOI.Salehi is feeling “well” and is currently self-isolating and working from home, according to the press release.On Saturday, Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, an Iranian vice president and the head of the country’s Planning and Budget Organization, tweeted that he has tested positive for coronavirus.Coronavirus has infected and killed a number of Iranian officials since it reached the country in February.As of Saturday, the virus has killed more than 28,200 people and infected more than 496,200 in Iran, according to health ministry figures.President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday Iran will start imposing fines for breaches of health regulations in the capital Tehran.Read more:UAE’s Gargash says Turkey’s army in Qatar destabilizes regionEgypt’s al-Sisi signs strategic maritime deal with GreeceForest fires in Syria, Lebanon kill 2 people
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Iran nuclear chief tests positive for COVID-19

Lebanon said on Sunday it will close bars and nightclubs to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak which has killed more than 450 people in a country also reeling from financial crisis and an explosion in Beirut two months ago.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The Interior Ministry shut bars and nightclubs until further notice and enforced local lockdowns on 169 villages and districts across the country, up from 111 last week.It also reiterated a 1 a.m.- 6 a.m. curfew as well as a ruling, which has not been universally observed, that masks must be worn when travelling.There have been 52,558 infections and 455 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the countrysince the pandemic began. With a population of just 6 million, Lebanon has been reporting more than 1,000 cases daily in the last few days.Hospital intensive care units have reached a critical 82 percent of capacity, according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, the virus continues to spread in overcrowded prisons, public hospitals and cities, where mask-wearing remains lax.Lebanon is battling the pandemic while facing its worst economic crisis since a 1975-1990 civil war.Its financial system has been paralyzed since last year, its currency has crashed by 80 percent, and banks have severely restricted withdrawals. The economic meltdown was compounded by the explosion on August 4 that wrecked a swathe of Beirut, killing nearly 200 people and damaging several hospitals.Read more:Lebanon cases spike ‘extremely worrisome,’ experts call for lockdownLebanon reimposes lockdown amid COVID-19 spikeLebanon sees record number of new cases in the aftermath of Beirut blast
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Lebanon shuts down bars, nightclubs amid COVID-19 spike

The doors of buildings attest to the hidden beauty of Cairo throughout the ages, and the extent of human interest in architecture in Egypt.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Architects find in doors of Old Cairo buildings historic value

Iran had just recently recorded its highest daily death toll four days earlier with 239 new fatalities..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iran has highest day death toll from virus, currency plunges

An interior ministry statement said 169 villages and towns across the country would be locked down for one week from 6:00 am (0300 GMT) on Monday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon to lock down nearly 170 districts in virus fight

The first face-to-face meetings of the the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum will take place in Tunisia in November, announced the United Nations..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UN announces first Libyan direct talks in Tunisia next month