A wealthy Emirati businessman has scrapped plans to launch a new television channel in Lebanon, with his company alleging he and his staff had faced physical threats. Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor’s Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group conglomerate announced recently it had cancelled the launch of the television channel, which aimed to initially broadcast cultural, social and sporting programmes.
Al Habtoor Group cited “severe security challenges”, including what it called physical threats against its founder and chairman, Khalaf Al Habtoor, and staff members. It said it had lodged criminal and civil complaints in Lebanon and elsewhere against those it said had menaced the Group and staff. “Following the project announcement, the group encountered a barrage of orchestrated campaigns including accusations, slander, and threats,” Al Habtoor Group said in a statement.
It did not identify who it believed had been implicated in the “orchestrated campaigns”. The company thanked Lebanese Minister of Information Ziad Makary for his support. “We have encountered insurmountable obstacles that exceed what can reasonably be borne regarding the safety and security of our team,” Khalaf Al Habtoor said.
“We find ourselves compelled to seek an alternative to launching the project from Lebanon,” he said, citing a lack of necessary security and stability to proceed with the launch. Makary told international media he regretted Al Habtoor’s decision. Asked about allegations of threats against Al Habtoor and his staff, Makary said: “We were prepared even if there were any threats to address them.”
Al Habtoor Group’s business interests span construction, real estate, and hospitality in the Middle East, Europe and the United States. The Group has two Hilton hotels in Lebanon. The Sunni Muslim-ruled Gulf states, including the UAE, were once major investors in Lebanon but now largely shun it over Hezbollah, whose political party also sits in the parliament.
