https://arab.news/5udb9
Nothing is more dangerous for a state than a passing economic crisis, except the moment when the absence of the rule of law becomes the norm, when slander replaces truth and defamation takes the place of accountability. At that point, it is not investment alone that collapses; the very idea of the state begins to unravel. What Lebanon is experiencing today is neither a media debate nor a personal dispute. It is a decisive test of whether the rule of law still exists.
Lebanon was never, to me, a temporary venture, a testing ground or a transactional deal. It is a country I genuinely loved, invested in with conviction and stood by during its darkest times; when remaining was a risk, not a gain. My investments in Lebanon have exceeded $1.7 billion and, despite the continuous financial hemorrhage and heavy losses we have endured, I did not abandon the country, shut down my institutions or leave employees to face their fate.
I did not do so because circumstances were favorable but because I believe that people are a trust. Hundreds of families who work with us should never pay the price for chaos, negligence or the absence of the state. We endured patiently, absorbed losses and chose to remain when others chose to withdraw, out of respect for livelihoods and human dignity.
