After lying dormant for years, Beirut Souks announced on June 26 that more than 100 stores will soon be opening in the high-end downtown shopping center.

Beirut Souks, managed by Solidere, first opened in 2009 after a 10-year delay and a $100 million expenditure. The massive complex, which sits exactly on the site of Beirut's original traditional souks, has been plagued by a series of events over the past years, including the 2019 economic crisis, the mass protests in Downtown Beirut and the port explosion, which heavily damaged its stores and led it to fall into disarray.

In a post on Instagram published on June 26, Beirut Souks announced the reopening of many shops, including Nike, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Virgin, Etam, L'Occitane en Provence, Mouftah El Chark, among others.

Contacted by L'Orient Today, Adib al-Nakib, who serves as both Beirut Souks' general manager and Solidere's chief commercial officer, said that around 150 outlets are involved in the shopping destination's "revamping."

"We already have more than 50 tenants that are operating. Many others are currently undergoing refurbishment and fit-outs and will gradually open to reach more than 100 [reopened stores] by the end of October 2024."

Solidere’s name was associated with late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s neoliberal economic plans for the reconstruction of postwar Lebanon. Hariri’s plan drew heavy criticism for its use of forced evictions and property expropriation. More recently, Solidere became a lynchpin of all criticisms of the politico-economic policies that led to the country’s economic ruin.

In 2019, hundreds of thousands of residents gathered in Martyrs Square, just a few hundred meters away from Beirut Souks, to protest against corruption and worsening economic conditions. As part of the uprising which spanned into 2020, frequent riots occurred with some protesters smashing storefronts in Downtown Beirut.

According to al-Nakib, the plan was for a "phased re-opening with a soft launch at the end of 2023" but "unforeseen geopolitical circumstances beyond our control drove investors toward caution, slowing things down."

Since Oct. 8, Hezbollah and Israel have been involved in near-daily cross-border fire in parallel with an ongoing war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel.

Despite that, al-Nakib said the shopping district is now "moving forward at a fast pace, aiming to re-launch in Q4 2024."

Azadea Group, a leading lifestyle regional retail company that owns some of the brands that will reopen in Beirut Souks, was not immediately available to comment.

Asked about the motivations behind carrying out this project at this specific time, al-Nakib said that he is committed to the "economic vitality and commercial dynamism of the country and its capital city, which start at its center."

"Over the past two years, management has spearheaded a strategic initiative to revive the Beirut Central District,” al-Nakib said. “This started in the Mina al-Hosn and Saifi neighborhoods and included restoring Beirut Souks to their former glory.”

Elie Andrea, a member of Beirut's Municipal Council, told L’Orient Today that this is the opportune moment for reopening the shopping center, as Lebanon welcomes visitors from abroad for the summer season.

"We are optimistic that life will return to Downtown Beirut," he said. "If Beirut Souks does not open now, when will it open? In winter? This is the best time for Downtown Beirut to become vibrant."

Lebanon continues to be in the throes of an economic crisis which has left more than three-quarters of the population living in poverty. A World Bank report about Lebanon’s 2022 poverty rates showed that multidimensional poverty reached 79 percent and monetary poverty 44 percent. Consequently, most outlets that are about to open in Beirut’s downtown will likely not be affordable to the majority of the population.

Andrea hopes that the opening of stores in the shopping district will create a "snowball effect" not just in Beirut but in all of Lebanon.

Regarding the funding of the project, al-Nakib said that it is a "combination of efforts."

"While we absorbed the major costs of repairing infrastructure due to insurance delays, the ongoing renovations and fit-outs for individual stores are being funded by the respective tenants themselves, who lease the space."