Al-Arabiya TV Closes Office in Beirut

Saudi owned al-Arabiya television news channel said on Friday that it has shut down its office in Beirut citing security reasons.

Al-Arabiya and its partner company al-Hadath closed office located in Riad el-Solh square in downtown Beirut after informing the employees through the Director of Personnel and the station's lawyer Elie Danniel of the decision.

The lawyer had a list of 27 names including, workers, journalists and technicians who were laid-off from service, reports said.

They added that the station will likely keep its reporters in Lebanon despite the closure of the office in Beirut.

In a statement, the Dubai-based channel said it has "restructured" its operations in Lebanon "due to the difficult circumstances and challenges on ground, and out of Al-Arabiya's concern for the safety of its own employees and those employed by its providers."

It said it would nonetheless "continue to closely cover Lebanese affairs."

The channel said it would help employees affected by the decision to find jobs elsewhere with Al-Arabiya or its providers.

Those dismissed would be given "their full legitimate rights" and "other exceptional grants."

Lebanon's National News Agency said the decision would affect 27 employees.

In the lobby of the Al-Arabiya offices in downtown Beirut, half a dozen security guards stood watching as employees left the building for the last time.

One security guard was changing the lock on the office door, an AFP photographer said. 

After exiting the building, several employees stood around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee.

One of them said they had learned of the decision to shut the Beirut offices only Friday morning.

Information Minister Ramzi Jreij expressed astonishment at the decision and said: “We regret that this has happened particularly that there is no security justification for closing the station's office. I wonder if this decision stems from a political stance against the backdrop of the tense relations between Lebanon and Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia?”

He emphasized saying: “We must overcome the crisis, maybe through direct contacts between Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz during the conference that will be held in Turkey.”

Relations between Riyadh and Lebanon deteriorated in February, when Saudi Arabia halted a grant to the army in protest against Hizbullah's virulent criticism of the kingdom and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil's abstention from voting in favor of Arab League resolutions condemning attacks against the Saudi embassy in Iran in January.

The kingdom urged its citizens against traveling to Lebanon. Gulf countries also issued similar advisories.

Furthermore, in March the Arab League declared Iran ally Hizbullah a "terrorist" group, after Gulf monarchies adopted the same stance over the movement's support for the regime in Syria's war.