News

Beirut Wins US Flight Access, But Carriers Aren’t Sold Yet

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has pressed Washington for reconstruction funds and army backing in a recent White House meeting.

Published

2 months ago

July 22, 2026

Nour Nasir

beirut wins us flight access but carriers aren't sold yet

US carriers can fly to Lebanon again, 41 years after Washington closed the route. What they cannot yet do is sell tickets.

President Donald Trump directed his administration on July 21 to lift the ban on direct US–Lebanon services, reversing restrictions that have been in force since 1985. The order followed a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun — the first visit by a Lebanese head of state in nearly two decades — and Trump framed it as a way for Americans to reach Lebanon more easily.

The distance between permission and first departures is wide, however. The Federal Aviation Administration said it “looks forward to working with airlines and our interagency partners” to carry out the directive safely, but published no timetable. Before any carrier receives clearance, Beirut’s airport must satisfy US security requirements. Neither Trump nor the agency set an implementation date.

The case of Venezuela shows how long that process can run. Trump ordered passenger restrictions on Caracas lifted in January, but American Airlines did not restart Miami flights until late April, roughly three months later. So although presidential clearance is enough to begin a regulatory process, it’s not enough to create a firm operating schedule.

The commercial decision for operators is a separate hurdle. American, Delta and United have all suspended Tel Aviv services amid regional instability, keeping aircraft and crew planning under constant review. Each will weigh demand, security and fleet availability before committing a jet to Beirut. So far none has named a gateway, frequency or launch month.

Also Read: Gulf AI Job Vacancies Nearly Triple, But Hiring Stays Lopsided

For Aoun, aviation was one thread in a broader appeal. He pressed Washington for reconstruction aid, economic support and backing for the Lebanese Armed Forces — which he called “the backbone of security and stability,” and which has drawn more than $3 billion (AED11 billion) in US military assistance since 2006. Trump said officials had “concrete plans” to help operations in southern Lebanon.

Direct flights would strip a mandatory extra connection from every itinerary and cut the missed-connection risk that comes with intermediate hubs. Whether that access arrives as daily, weekly or seasonal service now rests with the airlines.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

2 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.