With more things to do on an aircraft these days, the in-flight magazine is probably not as widely read as it used to be. Still, it is an effective PR tool, conveying an airline's cuddly side to what is a captive audience. The good ones, British Airways' High Life in particular, run slick features, often written by celebrities, on the destinations the airline serves, lush shopping spreads and profiles of the great and the good who embody the company's brand values.
Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines, has a trilingual hodgepodge called Cedar Wings. It's not by any stretch a great read. I can't comment on the Arabic or the French, but the English is appalling and the features dire (although things have slightly improved since the early 1990s, when it once ran an article on hearing aids).
The most recent issue of Cedar Wings is no exception. The cover story, "MEA's journey in 15 years", is a 32-page hagiography, dedicated to the achievements of the current chairman, Mohammad Hout, and how a former central bank employee turned around a loss-making airline.
In true Lebanese fashion, no stops were left un-pulled and no superlative omitted. Mr Hout is showered with plaudits by everyone from prime ministers and ministers past and present, a former MEA chairman, the head of the central bank and various business leaders. Tom Enders, the chief executive of Airbus even referred to Mr Hout as "my brother". It's heady stuff.
When Mr Hout was appointed in 1997, MEA was haemorrhaging US$42 million (Dh154.2m) a year. By 2002 it was in the black with a $3m net profit and by 2009 $109m. Things have admittedly dipped since those heady days, with 2011 profits falling to $63m, a state of affairs that has probably more to do with the regional turmoil and Lebanon's catastrophic government than anything else.
And yet if the truth were told Mr Hout is no guru chief executive. Those who know him say he is extremely bright and has a phenomenal memory for detail, but ultimately he is cut from ordinary managerial cloth.
The real, unadorned, story is much more compelling. In the years after the Lebanese civil war, MEA, once the most advanced and feted airline in the region, had become bloated with sectarian appointees and burdened by an ageing fleet.
Enter Rafiq Hariri, the late prime minister, who made it his life mission to modernise Lebanon as a destination for Arab tourists. MEA was a boil that needed to be lanced and a deal was struck between Hariri and the Amal leader Nabih Berri, whose supporters had found unproductive sinecures with the airline, that would allow MEA to shed this dead wood with minimal fuss.
The central bank, which partly owns MEA, stumped up the severance money and then put its man, Mr Hout, into the top job. Aware that he knew zero about aviation, it prudently brought in a French aviation consultant.
The French connection didn't end there. Hariri's personal friendship with Jacques Chirac, France's president at the time, was instrumental in buying a new homogenous fleet from Airbus and restructuring profitable new routes, across the Atlantic via Paris in partnership with Air France.
Mr Hout, with the backing of the central bank, stuck to his task manfully, even when angry employees besieged his offices soon after his appointment. When Mr Hout was appointed I wasn't convinced, but given everything, he's actually done rather well. Maybe MEA really does have something to shout about.
But please find a decent editor for the magazine.
Michael Karam is a Beirut-based freelance writer
Company%20profile
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more from Janine di Giovanni
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Company%20Profile
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If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Honeymoonish
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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