Al-Arabiya shuts down Lebanon offices due to ‘difficult circumstances’

DUBAI: Al-Arabiya news channel has shut down its offices in Lebanon, it said on Friday, in a new sign of tensions with the Iran-backed sectarian movement, Hezbollah.
The Beirut offices of Al-Arabiya and its sister channel Al-Hadath, which offers extensive coverage of political news, have been closed and they no longer have any correspondents in Lebanon, a spokesman told AFP. 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.