By Sally Hayden
BEIRUT, Dec 2 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Construction of a new luxury resort on Beirut’s waterfront could enclose the city’s last free public beach, leaving only wealthy residents who can afford lofty daily fees to enjoy the Mediterranean shore.
The battle for Ramlet al-Baida beach on the Lebanese capital’s highly developed shoreline is at the centre of the latest conflict between residents and municipal authorities.
It follows tensions last year over the closure of urban landfills and the continuing accumulation of garbage on the city’s peripheries.
Locals say Beirut could become the first Mediterranean city without a beach open to the public after developer, Achour Development, began building its Eden Bay resort, scheduled to open in 2018.
During the most recent protest at the building site last weekend, protesters were met with a heavy police presence.
“People have become numb,” said Bana Kadi, a demonstrator from Beirut. “It’s terrible. The beach belongs to the public and belongs to the people, which is the way it should be legally.”
Kadi said Beirut’s coastline and beaches are already polluted by sewage and it was often impossible for residents to swim safely.
“Now we can’t even enjoy the shore because there are no public spaces, and a city without public spaces is a city that becomes suffocated and eventually dies.”
The development will cover around 5,000 square meters – larger than an average football field – on the southern end of the beach. Achour Development’s website describes it as a “prime spot on the seafront that ensures that bustling city life remains outside the gated community”.
Many resorts built on Beirut’s predominantly high-rise waterfront charge up to $20 a day for access to beaches and facilities. The cheapest day rate is $10.
“We all grew up playing football on Ramlet al-Baida or just coming here to swim,” said Elias, who did not give his surname.
“It’s not first time that the public beach has been taken for investments,” he said. “I think it’s important that we don’t let it happen again and again.”
