BUSINESS & FINANCE The Hotel District at night Beirut city center at night New Waterfront District Conferences Development news Solidere general manager Mounir Douaidy together A total of 390 projects, representing close to with members of his team took part in investor and 3 million sq m of built-up area, are in various business conferences, where they met with: stages of development in Beirut city center. • 16 investment funds at EFG Hermes and Auerbach Projects BUA sq m Status Grayson Manhattan MENA conference, New York, 256 1,160,161 Completed October 19-20; 38 406,893 Under construction • 24 funds at Bank of America Merrill Lynch MENA 11 31,875 Under restoration and Frontiers conference, Dubai, November 9-11. 23 233,277 Under permitting In the answers to the queries on Company status, 40 648,229 Under study performance and future prospects, the team 11 419,578 Sold plots stressed the strong fundamentals that have carried Solidere through, even in a volatile global financial 11 67,520 On hold environment. 390 2,967,533 Total Share performance during the 4th quarter 2009 The market recovery started Share A - Daily Closing Prices Volume in the previous six months The Hotel District seen from the Corniche 316.583 continued its course during $29 300,000 the first part of the quarter. The formation of the new $27 225,000 ministerial cabinet pushed the shares to a nine-month $25 150,000 high around the beginning of $23 75,000 November. Since then, profit taking pulled the shares back $21 0 to a negative conclusion in 1 Oct 09 29 Oct 09 30 Nov 09 30 Dec09 December, as most market participants moved back to the sideline due to lack of market moving news. Trading activity decreased Share B - Daily Closing Prices Volume Share A fluctuated between during the quarter, with a low of US$23.70 and a high around 7 million shares of $29 300,000 of US$27.91, closing at both classes traded in the US$23.98, a 4.57% decrease local market, 26.31% less $27 225,000 compared to the previous than in the previous quarter. $25 150,000 quarter. Share B traded The GDRs traded in the between a low of US$23.66 London Stock Exchange $23 75,000 and a high of US$27.66, followed the locally traded closing at US$23.78, a 5.4% shares, closing the quarter $21 0 decrease from the previous at around US$24.5, a 2.39% 1 Oct 09 29 Oct 09 30 Nov 09 30 Dec09 quarter closing level. decrease compared to the previous quarter. Share price (US dollars) Trading volume BEIRUT SOUKS SHOPS AND NEWS Souk Arwam Souk Ayyas Gold Souk Souk Tawila Accessorize Armani Burberry Aizone Adidas Baramode Girard Perregaux Boggi Au Petit Point Caroll Carolina Herrera Axara Guess Kids Fakhry Bey Dépèche Mode Calvin Klein Francesco Biasia Chloé D&G Cortefiel Jacadi C&F Faces Geox shoes Kenzo The Counter Furla H&M Kookai Hallak opticians I Heart Maria Pino Hoyek K-Lynn Linea Max Mothercare Bershka L'Occitane Award for Beirut Souks Maje Neck & Neck Nana B Mango Milord Nougat Pull & Bear Mango Touch Solidere received the Capital Issues Award 2009 in Minelli shoes Okaidi-Obaiby Stradivarius Massimo Dutti the category of Architectural Excellence for Beirut Nike Women Pablosky Perso na Souks. The award was collected on behalf of the Officine Panerai Sinéquanone Souk Jamil Promod Company by Angus Gavin, December 22. Original Marines Tommy Hilfiger G 2000 Uturque Outdoor Guess Victoria Cazal couture Porsche Design Souk Bab Idriss H&M men & children Zara Puma Ella La Senza Openings and events Quicksilver Loft by Aspuces Mexx Souk Boustros Mitsulift: Save the Environment, Reebok Mephisto/TBS/Shoebox Monsoon Aldo shoes October 1 Room One Paul Salon Motivi Bisou Store Beirut Jazz Festival, October 7-11 Socks Rony Nacuzy Oysho Elie Khoubbieh hats H&M, October 2 Sony Rosea Pieces Rectangle Jaune Cortefiel, December 4 Timberland Show Off Punto Roma Vicky’s Faces cosmetics, December 10 Toy Watch Salsa jeans Chloé, December 19 Zara Home Bab Idriss Square Sunglass Hut The Counter, December 19 Balthazar Vero Moda Ukrainian dancers, December 23-30 5 BEIRUT JAZZ FESTIVAL An international jazz festival inaugurated the activities accompanying the opening of Beirut Souks. Toufic Farroukh & Absolute Orchestra, Walid Itayim & Friends, October 7 Walid Tawil Quartet, Matt Bianco, October 8 The Real Deal Blues Band, Ilene Barnes, October 9 Arthur Satyan Quartet, Koharapayl Armenojazz, October 10 Randa Ghossoub Quintet, Freddy Cole Quartet, October 11 DESIGN FEAST Coming soon Abed Mahfouz Aristocracy Brazilian Embassy Dragonfly EGO Gilberto JAH Lancel Little P Rochester Real Estate ltd Saïd Kobeisy haute couture Siraj Hindi Carpets Zadig & Voltaire Openings Alberta Ferretti Ayyam Gallery Designer’s Entourage Dior Canali Envy Four Seasons Hotel Le Gray Hotel Natuzzi Viviane Debbas Vivienne Westwood Newcomers Birdcage Blackberry store Les Petits Parisiens Natuzzi Pollini Q-Contemporary gallery Randa Tabbah Rodeo Drive Trovaré Inori Viva Footwear 8 BEIRUT WORLD BOOK CAPITAL Salon du Livre Francophone Beirut has the largest Francophone Held in Biel, October 23 - November 1 bookfair after Paris and Montreal. As with the participation of 150 authors, World Book Capital 2009, its bookfair the Salon was an intellectual and took a special dimension, with such esthetic feast, of which it is hoped events of international importance as: Ulysses literary voyage through that this non-exhaustive coverage announcement of literary prizes, La Valette, Tunis, Limassol may convey an idea. including the Five Continents Prize; and Beirut, to celebrate essential Mediterranean figures; Ile-de-France participation as guest of honor; Pavillon Sud housing 2,500 French books. BEIRUT WORLD BOOK CAPITAL Lectures and round tables Plays, screenings, concerts The blind read, culture for all, Other books etc. Beyrouth SALON DU LIVRE Ulysse 2009 authors’ debate, Proust lu, animation around the INTERNATIONAL a project aiming to transform Ahliah School Balima Published by Take Five, Geneva, moderated by Daniel Rondeau: movie by Véronique Aubouy a selection of Dar Al Saqi books A World I Loved, The Story of an Nucleus, booksigning by Diane a very fine limited edition, this FRANCOPHONE Robert Sole, Nedim Gürsel, Street festival, presentation ARAB BOOKFAIR in Braille Arab Woman by Wadad Makdissi Mazloum, October 8. Adonis, Olivier Frebourg, poetic book includes 16 photos Booksignings celebrating Beirut World Book The 53rd Beirut Arab bookfair was Arab Society and Culture, Cortas, Mariam Cortas Said and Aida Cherfan Alexandre Najjar, Salah Stétié, signed by Gabriele Basilico and Enterrer la haine et la vengeance, Capital 2009, Zico House in held at Biel, December 11- 24. booksigning by Samir and Nidal Al Ashkar reading followed Madi sculptures, booksigning by Antoine Assaf, Charles Dantzig, a notebook by Wajdi Mouawad; une vie pour le Liban, Ghassan collaboration with the Ministry About 176 Lebanese and 22 Arab Roseanne Khalaf, December 11 by commentary and booksigning, Hussein Madi, October 9. graphics by Philippe Millot; Tueni, Albin Michel Salim Bachi of Culture November 18. and foreign publishing houses Premio Mediterraneo del Libro, Ceramic Lounge case design by Robert Stadler. Joseph Mayla, Gérard Khoury, Conquérir et reconquérir la ville, From the alphabet to the Nahda, took part in the event, organized round tables and literary award, Instituto Cervantes Au temps de la mouné by Henry Laurens, around Ghassan Ziad Akl and Nabil Beyhum, ALBA animated presentation of the by the Arab Cultural Club, with organized by Italian Cultural Storytelling of Mexican legends Youmna Jazzar Medlej and Tueni’s book La forêt de l’amour en nous by project on Zokak El Blatt by the collaboration of Lebanese Institute, December 16 and fairytales for children, Joumana Medlej, October 8 Sami Karkabi and Samar Balamand university, ALBA, USJ, Publisher’s union. November 3 Adonis, Mercure de France L’Animal qui pleure by Michael Amalgam by Maya Zankoul, Mougharbel, on L’esprit du pot, Orient-Institut, in collaboration Les œuvres complètes by Salah Discussions and gatherings by Kleeberg, Arabic translation Mexico, a country of colors and October 28. by Dorothy Salhab with the Ministry of Culture renowned Arab writers, and by Abbas Beydoun, lecture and friendship, lecture by Antonio Stétié, Laffont El Bourj library Karim Mroué and Elisabeth Several classical music and activities to encourage students booksigning, December 12 López Rios, Mexican embassy Images chrétiennes du Levant: Temps Interdits by Thérèse Longuenesse, on Mroué’s Un other concerts, including a to read and write, were included. cultural attaché, November 4 Syro-Lebanese medieval church Books: the best present, Aouad Basbous, Survivre by demi-siècle d’utopie: mémoires closing concert by Juliette in paintings by Mahmoud Zibawi, Rabih Jaber was shortlisted in collaboration with the Ministry Cuaderno de Chihuahua, Gilberte Favre, December 3 d’un dirigeant de la gauche Music Hall, November 1. among six others for Arabic of Culture, in presence of Mexican poet Jeanette Lozano, National Center for Scientific Beyrouth, naissance d’une libanaise, organized by French Exhibitions Booker 2010 prize, that provides children December 8 Research capitale by Carla Eddé, Institute for the Near East, IFPO Photographic promenade in high exposure to arabic writers Beyrouth 1920-1940 by Robert Meeting of Arabic storytellers Emilio Ruiz Barrachina December 16 Histoire de Berytos et Gibran’s Prophet helping them to translate and Saliba, Editions Parenthèses under the theme of Tales and documentaries projection: diffuse their books. La Phénicie: un Liban d’autrefois, d’Héliopolis d’après leurs Lis avec Samir Kassir, photos exile, December 15. Orson Welles y Goya, La Espana Bonaparte à la conquête de monnaies, Ziad Sawaya lecture, Christelle Halal, December 19. Seven days in Djibouti, photos de la Copla, December 16-17. l’Egypte by Sole Robert, Seuil IFPO Les 50 ans des Schtroumpfs, Réflexion sur l’histoire du Liban, Tintin à travers le 20ème siècle, Wallonie Bruxelles.