UAE Ambassador: Arsal's image different than that portrayed by media

Future bloc MP, Baker Hujairi held Friday a luncheon in honor of United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamad Saeed Al Shamsi. Marking the occasion, Hujairi delivered a welcoming speech to the guest ambassador, seeking the latter‘s support helping Syrian refugees return to their homeland.

"Arsal has received 60,000 Syrian refugees on  non-existing infrastructure, so it does not even have a sign on the international road to lead to it,” Hujeiri said, regretting all the rumors describing Arsal as a vile place.

The lawmaker also expressed hope that the UAE would cooperate with Arsal by means of facilitating the liquidation of its products.

Shamsi then made a speech and said that his team had done all that was necessary to help Arsal and tackle the refugee crisis in Lebanon.

"The Emirati people love Lebanon and its people, and when I came to this town, I was sure that its image was not appropriately portrayed by the media. We should look at Arsal in a positive way,” the UAE diplomat added.

He concluded that he would help "Arsal and the neighboring region, after assessing the necessities, through MP Hujairi.”