A prominent Emirati businessman, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, has decided to cancel the launch of a new television channel in Lebanon due to severe security challenges and physical threats against himself and his staff. The Dubai-based Al Habtoor Group had planned to broadcast cultural, social, and sporting programs on the channel.
The company has filed criminal and civil complaints against those responsible for the threats, citing orchestrated campaigns of accusations and slander. Despite receiving support from the Lebanese Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, Al Habtoor deemed it necessary to seek an alternative location for the project.
Al Habtoor, known for his business interests in construction, real estate, and hospitality, has been critical of Lebanese Hezbollah in the past. The group, backed by Iran and considered a terrorist organization by several countries, has contributed to a decline in investment from Gulf states like the UAE in Lebanon.
Despite being an advocate for intervention to dismantle Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon, Al Habtoor’s concerns for the safety of his team have prompted the decision to halt the television channel project.
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