The former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri was praised by many for transforming post-civil war Lebanon. AFP
The former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri was praised by many for transforming post-civil war Lebanon. AFP

2005 - The assassination of Hariri

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Updated 19 April 2025
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2005 - The assassination of Hariri

2005 - The assassination of Hariri
  • The car bomb that killed the former prime minister wiped out all hope of a prosperous and peaceful country

DUBAI: The Middle East of the early 2000s was in a state of flux. Saddam Hussein was toppled in Iraq. Al-Qaeda and its various hydra-headed affiliates were running amok, popping up everywhere. Terrorists were on a killing spree. There was chaos and confusion.

It was during this particularly unstable time that I entered journalism, at Lebanon’s Future Television. There were plenty of stories to cover in the region, mostly of death and destruction, conspiracy and collusion, revenge and vendetta. There seemed to be an unending and singularly vicious cycle of violence.

In Lebanon, on the other hand, Rafik Hariri was scripting a rare success story. By following his vision, and thanks to the Saudi-brokered Taif Agreement in 1989 that brought to an end the civil war, the country had finally found its feet as the “Switzerland of the East.”

Hariri was at the helm as prime minister from 1992 to 1998, and again from 2000 to 2004. He turned Lebanon around, infusing new life into a country that had been ripped asunder by a long, bloody civil war.

It was a dream time for the nation. Lebanon became the talk of the town in shisha cafes across the region. Here was a Middle Eastern country proving that it could rise from the ashes and earn the admiration of its people, as well as that of the wider world. Proving that it could set an example for others to follow. The one man responsible for this unprecedented, historic turnaround was Hariri.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end — or, in the case of the Middle East, are brought to a violent end with bloody carnage.

And so it was that the purveyors of death and destruction, the satanic forces that had been lying in wait for a long time, struck. The location was the center of Beirut, and the strike hit with the destructive force of about 1,000 kilograms of explosives. Hariri was assassinated at the age of only 60.

How we wrote it




Arab News dedicated its front page to Rafik Hariri’s tragic assassina­tion, capturing global outrage and local fears.

I was nearly 4,000 kilometers away at the time, in London, working for Asharq Al-Awsat. I remember that day with pain and pathos. It was Monday, Feb. 14, 2005. Those were pre-Twitter days, and suddenly I found myself deluged with text messages. I rushed to my office.

I watched the whole world freeze as I saw the images of the exploding car. This was not just another news story to me, because I had worked at Future Television, which Hariri founded, and I had known him personally. I also knew, and had worked with, a number of other people who were at the scene of the explosion in Beirut, including the cameraman who was seen weeping in images at the time.

My pain and anger were all the greater because I had witnessed what was commonly referred to as “the second golden era of Lebanon,” between 1992 and 2005, when Hariri was in his prime. Many memories flashed through my mind.

I remembered distinctly the feelings of euphoria when French President Jacques Chirac had visited and walked hand-in-hand with Hariri in downtown Beirut. That happened on a beautiful summer night in the early 2000s, when the center of the city was buzzing with citizens, expatriates and tourists. They were out to enjoy the experience of fine dining, shopping, clubbing or puffing on shisha in the newly renovated heart of the Lebanese capital.

The atmosphere felt so busy and alive, and I recall sitting with several friends. We had chosen to go to a well-known downtown cafe opposite the headquarters of the now-defunct pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat. We struggled to attract the attention of the waiters, who were doing their best to handle the flood of orders being thrown at them, mostly by much better-tipping Gulf tourists who, for obvious reasons, did not have as many problems as we students did in getting their attention.

Then, all of a sudden, a musician playing the saxophone beside our table stopped his music. Everybody stood and people all around us began clapping and cheering as Hariri appeared on the street, holding hands with Chirac.

Key Dates

  • 1

    Prime Minister Rafik Hariri supports UN Security Council Resolution 1559 calling for Syrian and other foreign forces to leave Lebanon.

  • 2

    Hariri resigns as prime minister in protest against Syria’s role in Lebanon.

    Timeline Image Oct. 20, 2004

  • 3

    While campaigning for parliamentary elections, Hariri urges the opposition to back Resolution 1559.

  • 4

    Hariri is assassinated in Beirut.

    Timeline Image Feb. 14, 2005

  • 5

    Under pressure from world opinion and the mass protests of the Cedar Revolution, Syrian troops finally withdraw from Lebanon.

    Timeline Image April 27, 2005

  • 6

    Appointed by the UN to investigate Hariri’s assassination, the international Special Tribunal for Lebanon opens in The Hague. Four suspected members of Hezbollah eventually charged with his murder. One later dies, the others remain fugitives.

    Timeline Image March 1, 2009

  • 7

    Hassan Nasrallah, longtime leader of Hezbollah, killed by Israeli airstrike on an underground facility in Dahieh, the group’s stronghold in Beirut. He is succeeded by his deputy, Naim Qassem.

  • 8

    After more than 2 years of political deadlock, Lebanon’s parliament elects armed forces commander Joseph Aoun as the country’s 14th president.

The French president was on an official visit to Lebanon, and Hariri decided to show him firsthand the progress made by the Lebanese people, both socially and physically. What better way to do this than take Chirac out for a walk to experience the kind of vibrant life Hariri had worked so hard to provide for his nation?

There were no bodyguards in sight, no weapons and no formalities whatsoever. On the contrary, both leaders casually greeted people and shook hands with them. The musician began, with no prompting, to play the French national anthem on his saxophone.

It was phenomenal, and incredible, how Hariri managed to turn Lebanon around in less than a decade. There was a new airport, a new downtown area, and tourism flourished. Everything was going right for the country. It was indeed Lebanon in its prime, a legendary second golden period.

Watching from my office in London, I realized immediately how the assassination of Hariri was going to affect Lebanon. I anticipated, and then painfully witnessed, the steady deterioration and institutions failing, one after the other.

Two decades later, Lebanon has defaulted on its debt, people are protesting about the lack of jobs, opportunities and even basic necessities of modern life such as electricity 24 hours a day.

More concerning is the reality that, regardless of the government that is elected, or the heavy blow Hezbollah suffered during its most recent conflict with Israel, which brought destruction and despair to the heart of Beirut, members of the Iran-backed groups of the country.

The assassination of Hariri wiped out all hope of a prosperous and peaceful Lebanon. This only added to the depressing scenario that existed then, and continues to exist, in the wider Middle East.




Firemen try to extinguish flames engulfing one of the cars of Rafik Hariri’s convoy in Beirut after his assassination. AFP

Twenty years have passed since Hariri was assassinated, and in that time I have written umpteen articles on the state of affairs in Lebanon. Whenever I write on the topic, I recall wistfully and nostalgically the stellar vision and leadership that Hariri provided for his country. Sadly, however, those days are gone — and they are not coming back.

Hariri had a vision and that vision died with him. His critics say he was a Saudi puppet, and that he brought on the financial debt Lebanon now faces. Of course the country had to borrow money under Hariri, but it was on its way to recovery and the numbers at the time showed it.

As for the accusation that Lebanon was the Kingdom’s puppet, well, as Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman rightly put it during an interview with media group Vice, Saudi Arabia sent tourists to Lebanon and Iran sent terrorists (including Hezbollah, which is accused of killing Hariri).

If there is any doubt over which vision was and is better for Lebanon, one only has to compare the central Beirut that existed under Hariri when Chirac visited, with what it is today under the armed rule of Hezbollah: much like the rest of the country, it is torn apart by political divisions and unable to function, with businesses forced to close and tourists nowhere to be found.

On Feb. 14, 2025, 20 years to the day after Hariri was assassinated, his supporters took to the streets once again, able for the first time to commemorate the memory of the late statesman without any real fear of threats from Hezbollah. The militia’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and most of his deputies were killed by Israel during the dramatic events of 2024.

In January this year, after a power vacuum that persisted for more than two years amid political deadlock, Lebanon’s parliament finally freely elected a new president, former army chief Joseph Aoun. The headline on the Arab News story that reported this development was “The rebirth of a republic” — the republic that Rafik Hariri dreamed of and in pursuit of which he gave his life.

  • Faisal J. Abbas, Arab News editor-in-chief, began his journalism career in Lebanon.


Several hurt in anti-migrant unrest in Spanish town

Several hurt in anti-migrant unrest in Spanish town
Updated 39 sec ago
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Several hurt in anti-migrant unrest in Spanish town

Several hurt in anti-migrant unrest in Spanish town
MADRID: Several people were hurt in a second night of anti-migrant unrest in the Spanish town of Torre Pacheco after a pensioner was beaten up, authorities said on Sunday.
Despite a major police presence, groups armed with batons roamed the streets looking for foreign-origin people, regional newspaper La Opinion de Murcia reported.
The regional government did not say how many people were injured but stated that at least one person had been arrested for the violence.
The unrest erupted after a 68-year-old man told Spanish media he was beaten up in the street on Wednesday by three youths of North African origin.
The attack was filmed and put on social media.
The town hall organized a demonstration on Friday that was intended to be peaceful but where far-right elements shouted anti-migrant slogans.
One group, named “Deport Them Now,” posted a message on social media calling for attacks against people of North African origin.
Spanish authorities launched an appeal for calm on Sunday in the town of 36,000 people.
“Torre Pacheco must get back to normal,” said the head of the Murcian regional government Fernando Lopez Miras in a message on X.
“I understand the frustration but nothing justifies violence,” added the conservative politician.
“I call on residents to be calm, for tranquility,” said Torre Pacheco mayor, Pedro Angel Roca Ternel, on RTVE public television.
Spain’s Youth Minister Sira Rego, a member of the extreme left wing party Sumar, condemned the violence against migrants in a message on Bluesky, blaming the role of the “ultra-right” in the unrest.

Oman tourism revenues hit $5.5bn in 2024

Oman tourism revenues hit $5.5bn in 2024
Updated 6 min 32 sec ago
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Oman tourism revenues hit $5.5bn in 2024

Oman tourism revenues hit $5.5bn in 2024
  • Tourism contribution to GDP rose to 2.7 billion rials
  • Government continues to adopt innovative marketing strategies

JEDDAH: Oman’s tourism sector contributed over 2.12 billion rials ($5.51 billion) to the Gulf country’s national economy in 2024, up from 1.75 billion rials in 2018, according to official data.

The latest figures from the National Center for Statistics and Information indicate that this increase reflects a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 percent, reinforcing the industry’s role as a key pillar in the sultanate’s economic diversification strategy.

The sector’s contribution to gross domestic product also rose to 2.7 billion rials, up from 2.3 billion rials in 2018, underscoring tourism’s expanding macroeconomic impact, according to the Oman News Agency.

European travelers significantly boosted Oman’s tourism sector in 2024, driving a 10.2 percent rise in hotel revenues during the first five months of the year, according to NCSI data released last July.

The country’s growing appeal among European tourists, alongside strong local and regional demand, reflects its broader strategy to diversify its tourism base and bolster the hospitality sector, in line with similar initiatives across Gulf Cooperation Council member states.

Minister of Heritage and Tourism Salim bin Mohammed Al-Mahrouqi said the growth in visitor arrivals, spending, and economic value reflects the result of focused and ambitious efforts by the ministry to promote Oman as a rich and diverse tourism destination, according to ONA.

He added that the latest indicators serve as a testament to the government’s economic diversification policies and effective inter-agency coordination that supports investment and accelerates project implementation.

Al-Mahrouqi also said that the ministry continues to adopt innovative marketing strategies, strengthen partnerships with the private sector, and develop offerings to enhance the overall visitor experience.

GDP growth forecast at 2.2% in 2025

The sultanate’s economy is forecast to grow by 2.2 percent in 2025, up from 1.7 percent the previous year, supported by a recovery in oil activities and steady non-oil sector expansion, according to the Ministry of Economy’s 2025 economic outlook.

Inflation is projected to rise modestly to 1.3 percent, up from 0.6 percent in 2024. Still, it will remain within the target range of Oman’s 10th five-year plan, aided by continued government subsidies and stable global commodity prices.

The ministry estimates GDP at constant prices will increase from 38.3 billion rials in 2024 to 39.2 billion rials in 2025. Oil activities are expected to rebound with 1.3 percent growth after a 3 percent contraction in 2024, while non-oil sectors are projected to grow by 2.7 percent.

Medium-term momentum is expected to continue through 2026 and 2027, bolstered by strategic projects and higher oil production, ONA reported.


Imran Khan’s party says 90-day ‘do or die’ anti-Pakistan government movement underway

Imran Khan’s party says 90-day ‘do or die’ anti-Pakistan government movement underway
Updated 13 min 36 sec ago
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Imran Khan’s party says 90-day ‘do or die’ anti-Pakistan government movement underway

Imran Khan’s party says 90-day ‘do or die’ anti-Pakistan government movement underway
  • Khan’s party earlier this month announced its plan to launch nationwide anti-government movement after Muharram
  • Ali Amin Gandapur, KP chief minister and a close Imran Khan aide, says movement to “reach its peak” on August 5

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced on Sunday that its 90-day “do or die” protest movement against the government is underway, saying that it would determine the future of the party. 

Earlier this month, the PTI announced it would launch a nationwide protest movement after the Islamic month of Muharram, following a ruling by Pakistan’s top court denying the party reserved parliamentary seats for minorities and women.

Tensions further escalated days earlier when 26 PTI provincial lawmakers were suspended by the speaker of the Punjab Assembly for 15 sessions, after they protested during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s speech on June 27.

Gandapur arrived in the eastern city of Lahore from KP on Saturday to discuss the party’s political strategy and finalize its protest movement against the government.

“We have announced a 90-day protest movement, which began yesterday [Saturday] and it will be a do-or-die movement for us, whether we remain there [in KP government] or not, ” Gandapur, flanked by the PTI’s leadership, told reporters at a news conference in Lahore.

 

The KP chief minister vowed that the party’s anti-government protest movement will “reach its peak” on August 5, marking two years since Khan was arrested after being convicted by a court for illegally selling state gifts. 

‘REAL DECISION-MAKERS’ 

Khan, who has remained in prison since then, says the charges against him are politically motivated and has denied wrongdoing. His party has held various protests demanding his release and an independent investigation into the elections of February 2024. In one of the PTI’s protests in November last year, the government said four troops were killed in clashes with Khan supporters. The PTI rejects this allegation. 

Gandapur alleged that the PTI was being denied its right to hold peaceful protests across the country, vowing that it would now mobilize people across the country.

“We will announce a plan accordingly, after taking all our local workers and leaders into confidence on how to proceed with this movement,” the chief minister said. 

On holding talks with the government, Gandapur said his government was ready to hold talks but with the “real decision-makers,” indirectly referring to the military. 

“They [military establishment] are the real decision-makers, so we will talk to them only as there is no point in talking to those [the government] who have no power to make any decisions,” Gandapur said. 

Arab News reached out to federal ministers and senior leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party for a response, but did not receive one till the filing of this report.

Pakistan’s military says it does not interfere in political issues and rejects the PTI’s allegations that it conspired with Khan’s political opponents to oust his government in a parliamentary vote in April 2022. 

Pakistan’s government has denied the PTI’s allegations of stifling dissent and says the elections of February 2024 were transparent. It accuses the former prime minister and his party of attempting to disrupt the government’s efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth via violent protests.


Syria wildfires contained after 10 days

Syria wildfires contained after 10 days
Updated 12 min 19 sec ago
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Syria wildfires contained after 10 days

Syria wildfires contained after 10 days
  • The blazes in the coastal province of Latakia broke out amid an intense heatwave across the region
  • UN humanitarian agency says fires destroyed about 100 square kilometers of forest and farmland

DAMASCUS: Syria’s civil defense agency on Sunday said wildfires in the country’s west, which have burned vast tracts of forest and farmland and forced evacuations, had been brought under control after 10 days.

In a statement on Facebook, the agency said that “with the spread of the fires halted and the fire hotspots brought under control on all fronts” on Saturday, teams on the ground were working to cool down the affected areas while monitoring any signs of reignition.

The blazes in the coastal province of Latakia broke out amid an intense heatwave across the region.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said they destroyed about 100 square kilometers of forest and farmland.

As the fires raged, Syrian emergency workers faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain and the danger of explosive war remnants.

This all comes in a country worn down by years of conflict and economic crisis.

In a post on X, the Syrian minister for emergencies and disaster management, Raed Al-Saleh, said that with help from Turkish, Jordanian, Lebanese, Qatari and Iraqi teams, firefighters had “managed to halt the spread of the fire on all fronts, which is the most important step toward containing the wildfires.”

The “situation is the best it has been in the past 10 days,” Saleh said late Saturday.

“There are still threats due to wind activity, but we are working to prevent any renewed expansion of the fires,” the minister added.

The civil defense agency said rescue teams were carrying out “operations to open pathways and firebreaks within the forests... in order to reduce the chances of fire spreading in case of reignition.”

Authorities have not reported any casualties, but several towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution.

Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country’s economy, infrastructure and public services.

With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.

In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said that Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.”


Kuwait unveils major capital market reforms to boost efficiency, attract global investments   

Kuwait unveils major capital market reforms to boost efficiency, attract global investments   
Updated 13 min 19 sec ago
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Kuwait unveils major capital market reforms to boost efficiency, attract global investments   

Kuwait unveils major capital market reforms to boost efficiency, attract global investments   

RIYADH: Kuwait has introduced a central counterparty clearing framework, upgraded brokerage standards, and streamlined settlement systems as part of a sweeping reform to modernize its capital markets and boost investor confidence. 

 

The measures, launched as part of the second stage of Phase Three of the Market Development Program, include introducing sub-account numbering to enhance transparency, as well as upgrading IT infrastructure to support future listings of exchange-traded funds and fixed-income instruments such as bonds and sukuk, according to a press release.

 

Led by Kuwait’s Capital Markets Authority in coordination with Boursa Kuwait and the Central Bank of Kuwait, the reforms aim to align the country’s financial market infrastructure with global standards while reducing risk and enhancing market depth. 

 

The Market Development Program is a strategic initiative under the country’s Vision 2035 plan, aimed at diversifying the economy, enhancing private sector participation, and modernizing key sectors such as finance, infrastructure, and technology. 

 

Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi, CEO of Boursa Kuwait, said: “The launch of this phase reflects our unwavering commitment to developing an advanced, efficient trading environment that meets the highest international standards.”   

 

He added: “It is the product of close collaboration across the capital market apparatus and represents a key step in expanding the depth, transparency and resilience of Kuwait’s capital market.” 

  

Boursa Kuwait Chairman Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi said that the collaboration has played a vital role in advancing market infrastructure and introducing sophisticated products and services that promote a more transparent and dynamic investment environment. 

  

He added that these efforts are essential to attracting capital, generating added value for the national economy, and supporting the diversification of income sources. 

  

The measure introduced several key reforms, including the implementation of a Central Counterparty Framework to reduce settlement risks and align clearing processes with global standards.  

  

It also streamlined cash settlements through the KASSIP system, facilitating smoother transactions via local banks and the Central Bank of Kuwait. Additionally, brokerage firms were upgraded to “Qualified Broker” status to enhance market structure, while sub-account numbering was introduced to improve transparency under omnibus accounts.  

  

Furthermore, IT infrastructure upgrades were made to prepare for the introduction of ETFs and fixed-income trading, including bonds and sukuk, pending necessary legislative changes. 

  

This phase marks one of the most significant overhauls since the privatization of Boursa Kuwait, reinforcing the market’s role in driving economic growth.   

 

“We greatly value the remarkable efforts that have driven the various phases of the Market Development Program for Kuwait’s capital market, a reflection of the power of constructive cooperation between the public and private sectors, which stands as a national model for realizing economic objectives and development ambitions rooted in innovation and professionalism,” Al-Kharafi said. 

     

The CMA and Boursa Kuwait reaffirmed their commitment to further developing the market’s infrastructure, supporting sustainable growth, and reinforcing Kuwait’s status as a premier investment destination.   

  

Privatized in 2019, Boursa Kuwait operates one of the GCC’s oldest exchanges, driving market modernization and emerging-market reclassification.