News

Global Watchdog Flags Multiple Safety Issues At Beirut Airport

Concerns raised relating to air-traffic control must be urgently addressed, says the report.

Published

3 years ago

August 18, 2023

global watchdog flags multiple safety issues at beirut airport

An inspection of the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut has revealed inadequate safety measures, many of which require urgent action.

The report, carried out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), highlights issues concerning in-air navigation services (ANS) that must be addressed with “utmost urgency”. The problem areas include air-traffic control, navigation, communication, and meteorological services.

ICAO conducts regular audits on the air infrastructure of member states to assess their capability to maintain adequate safety systems.

As a signatory to the Chicago Convention, Lebanon must comply with any prescribed ICAO standards and recommended best practices.

In the event of an immediate safety concern, ICAO can “red flag” a country over any breach of international aviation regulations. Bhutan, Russia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are examples of such states.

While the governments of red-flagged countries are not legally obliged to make changes after a negative audit, the results serve as a warning to inbound airlines and travelers from other nations. In extreme cases, authorities may ban flights originating from offending countries from entering their airspace.

According to the audit, “ATC staff shortage is a serious safety issue for the Beirut Airport, which could have critical repercussions for aviation in Lebanon”.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

The report stressed it was of “crucial importance” for Lebanon’s civil aviation authorities to begin the “recruitment and retention of appropriately qualified and experienced ATS staff” as “a matter of utmost urgency”.

Another major concern related to an absence of procedures to keep obstacle registries up to date and to verify the functionality of navigation systems. “Lebanon shall ensure that identified safety issues are resolved in a timely manner,” the report demanded.

The lack of air-traffic controllers has long been an issue for Lebanon but has intensified due to the country’s severe economic crisis. The national currency has now lost 97% of its value, pushing 80% of the population below the poverty line.

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

4 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.