Roger Edde believes area should compete with cannes. Businessman argues town should be perceived as area of international potential stretching from Adonis to Batroun to Afqua
A Lebanese investor from Jbeil has a highly ambitious plan: to transform the ancient Phoenician port town into a world-class tourism and conference destination on a par with Cannes and Chicago.
To launch this Jbeil Riviera vision, Roger Edde has invested $40 million in a massive 65,000-square-meter beach resort known as Edde Sands.
Meticulously crafted in the shadow of one of the world’s oldest cities, Edde Sands’ masonry structures emulate the architecture of centuries past, while reflecting the requirements of modernity.
A staggering 15-kilometer network of high technology cables underlies the resort’s initial construction phase, which encompasses 10 luxury cabanas, 18 cabins, four swimming pools, over 1,000 various upscale sun-bathing recliners, and an array of eclectic beach bars and food and beverage outlets.
By the intermediate stage of development, the project’s capital will reach $150 million, host a world-renowned mega spa and one or two five-star hotels, according to Edde, whose plans do not stop there.
“My ambition is to develop a network of hotels and hospitality facilities that will range from high-end establishments designed to attract international attention to two- and three-star hotels that will become important revenue earners.”
Jbeil should not be limited to its municipality but perceived as an area of international potential that stretches from Adonis to Batroun to Afqua, he said.
“Edde Sands deserves to be the talk of the town because it is the project that has foreseen the birth of a new Jbeil as a major leisure destination on the Eastern Mediterranean.”
The hope is that the project will stimulate other investors to progressively construct large-scale conference facilities in the area, where rents remain reasonable, he added.
“As for each additional development, I have prepared a carefully thought-out strategy where I invest first and welcome additional investors as soon as they feel confident to join in. But above all, I welcome, encourage and support competition because I believe it a necessary ally to realize my Jbeil destination dream.”
Edde hopes the area will surpass the aging conference facilities of Cannes, currently accommodating a mere 5,000, and one day rival Chicago’s minimum capacity of 40,000.
International media, including BBC, CNN and The Wall Street Journal, will be utilized in the resort’s advertising strategy, Edde said, adding that niche media will also be used to target the Lebanese diaspora.
Edde Sands’ marketing team plans to host a steady stream of world-famous entertainers and also host parties in association with Fashion Television and Music Television (MTV).
In the short term, the resort will have a major impact on local employment and businesses.
Nearly all products used at Edde Sands have been produced by local artisans, and the company will initially hire 150 employees and 240 in the future, Edde said, adding that local officials have also played a key role in the project.
“Jbeil’s Mayor Raphael Sfeir, as well as the relevant administrative authorities cooperated amazingly with tremendous encouragement.
This has been a real surprise in Lebanon where the government has not developed the reputation of being very forthcoming in aggressively financing or alleviating the tourist industry, particularly as tourism has the potential of being the number-one industry in Lebanon, and its main source of hard currency,” he said.
The Grammy award-winning R&B artist Solomon Burke, along with guitarist Otis Grant, will kick off the resort’s first major event on Aug. 20.
Habib Battah. Daily Star staff
© The Daily Star 2003
