Beirut’s Golf Club is deemed one of the most prestigious social venues in the country, being a hotspot where the elite gather. But, behind the club’s sumptuous image, lies a mediocre truth that needs to be unveiled. In Lebanon, almost every successful story has another disappointing side that is rarely disclosed.
Located in Beirut’s southern suburb of Ouzai, the state-owned course stands as an oasis of greenery in a city crammed with concrete, stretching along 300,000 square meters.
The Civil Aviation authorities used to own a plot of land that was filled with sand; with each storm, the sand filled up the air and caused trouble for the aircraft. Consequently, the directorate announced that it will accept proposals aiming to turn the sand dunes into a green area.
In 1964, the authorities agreed to the club’s proposal and a 15-year contract was subsequently signed in exchange for a meager rent fee of one dollar (1,100 Lebanese Pounds).
Moving forward to our present day, this same fee, that barely buys anyone a pack of chewing gum, is still valid for a venue that can yield megabucks.
In 1979, the government opted for a “premature” renewal of the contract, therefore extending the agreement’s validity for an eight-year period.
In 1985 (i.e. two years before the contract’s term ends), the “greedy” club requested that the government renews the contract for another 15 years. It was done; the “generous” Cabinet failed to decline the request.
In 2000, the Cabinet agreed to extend the contract for just six months, amid debate about the nominal sum set for rent and whether it was appropriate to keep it unchanged.
Back then, a committee was tasked with preparing a study for a new lease at new prices. The committee included a judge representing the justice ministry, representatives of the prime minister’s office, the ministries of finance and tourism, and the Director General of Civil Aviation.
Unsurprisingly, the committee did not yield positive outcome. As a result, the Cabinet had to extend the club’s contract for another six months, granting the committee further time to make progress.
Sure enough, the panel completed its work in just three months. The report it set out suggested granting the Golf Club a license in return for a new fee commensurate with the value of the property.
Yet again, the contract was extended for one more year. After another three-month extension, the Cabinet agreed to renew the contract for another four years in 2002, then four more in October 2006, taking it to 2010.
In May 2010, the Cabinet refused to extend the club’s contract, failing at the same time to terminate it.
It doesn't require a legal expert to confirm that the contract under which the golf club leases the state-owned premises violates the law on several counts. The less-than-a-dollar fee is just provocative enough!
Article originally written in Arabic by Dany Haddad
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