Keyword: Saad Hariri

The Riyadh riddle and the woes of the Hariri business empire

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A friend in need: Saad Hariri with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elsée Palace on November 18th. © Reuters A friend in need: Saad Hariri with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elsée Palace on November 18th. © Reuters

A degree of mystery continues to surround what appears to have been a forced sojourn of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Saudi Arabia last month, to the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East centred on the Saudi kingdom’s rivalry with Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron played what Hariri has called a “historic” role that secured his departure from Riyadh, but the financial difficulties of the Lebanese politician’s extensive business interests may also be part of the complex plot leading up to the November events. Karl Laske reports.

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Lebanese PM's stay in Paris clouded by unpaid salaries row

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Laid-off French workers for the struggling family-owned business of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who arrived in Paris early on Saturday from Saudi Arabia after announcing his resignation and who is due to return to Beirut by Wednesday, are demanding that he settle claims for a total of about 15 million euros in unpaid wages.

Lebanese PM lunches with Macron in Paris, will return home next week

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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who barrived overnight in France from Saudi Arabia where he announced he was resigning amid mysterious circumstances and speculation he was being forced to remain in Riyadh, held talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron and announced he would return to Beirut by next Wednesday.

France calls on Saudis to allow Lebanese PM to 'return home freely'

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French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Tuesday said Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri must be 'freely' allowed to leave Saudi Arabia, where he has been staying in mysterious circumstances since announcing from there earlier this month that he was stepping down from his post, so that he can 'clarify his situation in accordance with the Lebanese constitution'.