Israeli radio said Thursday that the Prime Minister's office and the Foreign Ministry were furious about the leaks to Israeli newspapers and warned that they would damage Israel's effort to secure the release of the agent. Then, Beirut was the only financial centre in the Middle East. Hariri, interviewed in Beirut, said the Lebanese capital was not in competition with Bahrain, which has become the financial hub of the Gulf, or Dubai, rapidly becoming a Middle East centre for tourism. The seasons are different for tourism, although we have the four seasons with skiing in the winter. Tourism is becoming more and more important to us.
Many visitors are from Arab states and particularly the Gulf states.
Hariri said there was a traditional connection between the Gulf states and Lebanon. They used to study here. Hariri forecast that the Gulf would continue to be a strong financial backer of Lebanon's reconstruction. They are investing in hotels, co-operatives, some major projects, and that will continue over time,'' he said. The head of Israel's Mossad spy agency turned in his resignation Tuesday after a government inquiry blamed him for the botched attempt to kill an Islamic militant leader in Jordan.