A comfy lifestyle, fancy cars, well-furnished apartments or compound residences, and lavish recreational activities, are what come to mind at the mention of Lebanese expatriates in the Kingdom. Saudi Gazette takes a peek into the much-talked about popular lifestyle of Lebanese expats here. “The strong social and financial status of the Lebanese expatriate community here has given it an edge over the other expat communities,” opines Samir Kridieh, head of the Lebanese Community and owner of Rabiyah Company for landscaping and garden designing in Jeddah. “Most Lebanese here are well-educated and are open-minded. They are social, caring, cordial, and efficient in their work. Moreover, they mingle well with people of all nationalities, and especially Saudis, in the Kingdom,” he said, adding that people from his country like to maintain a certain standard of living, not only in the Kingdom but anywhere in the world. Kridieh estimated the size of the Lebanese workforce in the Kingdom at 160,000: 80,000 in the Western Province; 50,000 in the Central Province and around 30,000 in the Eastern Province. “Strong bilateral ties between the Kingdom and Lebanon have been established since the time of King Abdul Aziz. Good relations between Saudis and Lebanese are a result of a long history of mutual trade and tourism between the two countries,” he said. Elaborating on historical ties, he continues: “There are top Lebanese entrepreneurs who have built good relations with key Saudi figures here. During the internal conflicts in Lebanon in the 80s, the Saudi government played a very crucial role through the Taif Agreement formulated by the late King Fahd, which put an end to the conflict. The government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has been very supportive of our country, in all aspects of politics, finance and logistic support.” He said the Lebanese have an inherent ‘PR' (public relations) quality in them. “They like to be very presentable. It is because of this that most Lebanese work in PR, advertisement, construction and interiors. Tony Naseef, executive manager at an advertisement company here, said that the Lebanese have had experience in advertising and media in the Middle East since the 60s. “The Lebanese were one of the first to establish themselves in this business here,” he said. According to Kridieh, Saudi businessmen are the chief investors and financers in Lebanon, and they made a great contribution to the rebuilding of the state after the war. Commenting on the assertion that many companies and businesses are unfairly monopolized by Lebanese especially those specializing in PR, advertisement and construction, he says: “But when it comes to job competence, caliber, and qualifications, the most important thing is how much profit you are able to make regardless of nationality, race, or religion. For example, I have workers and employees here from different countries, such as, Egypt, Sudan, India and Palestine,” Kridieh said, adding that unfortunately, discrimination in salaries is rampant in some firms. Khalid Mo'taz, an Egyptian media relations manager in a PR company, said that a Lebanese who replaced him in an earlier job is now being paid almost double the amount that he used to get. “It is extremely shocking,” Mo'taz said. On the recreational front, most Lebanese expats are seen at the beach with family and friends. “The Lebanese are very social. We like to go out with families and friends. Seafronts and maritime resorts are our top weekend favorites, where we can enjoy activities, such as, diving, snorkeling and swimming,” said Kridieh. Lebanese cuisine, with its herbs, spices and freshness of ingredients, is the most popular of all Middle Eastern cuisines. “For authentic Lebanese delicacies here, Yildizlar's is the best bet,” said Hossam Assaf, human resources manager at a construction company, who has lived in the Kingdom for twenty years. Yanis Sabbagh, a Lebanese businessman, said he prefers seafront restaurants. “Al-Wada'a is the best luxurious restaurant with the perfect ambience to go with the food,” he said. While for Suzan Taweel, an interior designer, her favorite place for dinner stop is the Byblos Lebanese restaurant or International Bubbles located in Al
