To conclude our series highlighting people who have moved back to Lebanon, we wanted to share the story of Rami - a recent returnee.
Rami was living in NYC and chose to come back to continue to pursue his startup in Beirut (Twig Collaborative), be with his family, and reconnect with a good group of friends. 

Did you have to come back to Lebanon or did you choose to come back? Why?
In general in life, recognizing the agency of your own decisions is a big step in your career, in becoming an adult, and forging your own way in life. So it’s definitely based on choice. I chose to come back to Beirut, for multiple reasons. The first of which is family, work, but most importantly, I think Beirut is an extremely and dialectically very inspiring and frustrating sort of place to live in. And somehow, for a designer, that keeps you on your toes. 
How do you make the most of living in Lebanon?Food, beach, work, family, in no particular order. I think Lebanon has so much to offer from it’s landscape to its culture to the food, to the people you meet - both an amazing international crowd and a vibrant local crowd. I’m doing my best to make the most of Lebanon. 

What is one of the biggest challenges of living in Lebanon after living abroad?
Once you live abroad, you become complacent and you expect things to work out, you expect the internet connection to be perfect, you expect great customer service, you are used to a certain level of liberty in expressing your thoughts and yourself and engaging in public discourse. So one of the biggest challenges is to find a way to exercise all of those things and to have all those amenities in Beirut. It’s not impossible, it just takes a little bit of work and a good dose of patience.
How have you implemented what you learned abroad into your life here?
Moving away from NY, you do lose some opportunities. I was finishing my masters degree, I was teaching at Parsons, and it’s not super easy to walk away from that city. But I don’t necessarily think of them as sacrificeis. I think of them as this time is done, and it’s time to come back. And I think that’s the only way to have enriching experiences. I don’t see them as sacrifices, I think that’s part of life. 

What’s one of your favorite things about living in Lebanon again?
I don’t do favorites very easily. I would say spending time with a good group of friends that I would say I have generally missed. With that said, most of my friends now have one foot in Lebanon and one foot in another part of the world. But what I love about this group of friends is that everyone makes it a point to come back to spend some time in Beirut and I think that the memories that we make and spending genuine time together, it’s widely enriching. So I would say my favorite thing about living in Lebanon is the people. 

What would your advice be for other returnees? 
My advice for other returnees is have thick skin, remember why you made the choice to come back. Recognize that there are so many frustrations but also so much potential. In a lot of ways, this place is a fertile ground for so much. So my advice is to remember why you came back, and if it wasn’t your choice, how do you make the best out of it? 

Find your people, find your tribe, find like-minded people you can discuss and share life with. And what I mean by like-minded is not finding people exactly like yourself, but find people you’re comfortable enough with to build bridges of communication with. They can be people who carry quite a different set of values and life views, but find your tribe who you can have enriching experiences with. 

TOG Team ft. Rami

Leaving the comfort and luxury of the Gulf to move back to Lebanon can be a tough transition. Many Lebanese working in the Gulf countries constantly weigh the cost of leaving security and stability to move back to their home country. 

As a continuation of our blog series, "Wise Words from the Returnees," we interviewed Rana, a civil engineer who worked with the multinational company AECOM for 8 years in Qatar, and who recently moved back to Lebanon (again). We love her words of advice, and we hope they leave you feeling encouraged. 

Did you have to come back or did you choose to come back? Why?
Interestingly, this is my second time to come back to Lebanon from overseas, and both times it was absolutely by choice, just different reasons!
I left Lebanon twice, first from 2006-2010 (following the Israeli war) and then from 2014-2017 (following the Syrian crisis and construction sector being extremely hit).. the first time I returned was purely being fed up with the desert and for my well-being and family, second time was because I’m taking a break and changing career through a Masters, with the aim hopefully to find work here when I finish it!
My plan was always to stay and work in Lebanon and it was the major political upheavals that made me leave to the Gulf, both times. This time, I came back after working for 4 years in Qatar and the main reason this time was a decision to change careers, I enrolled in an Executive Masters in London (part time, few visits to London only) so I decided to use Lebanon as my base and the intention is to find a job here once I graduate. I would like to work in the Development domain which means targeting developing countries, so to me it is obvious- why will I have to look elsewhere rather than help my own country in urgent need for development?

How do you make the most of living in Lebanon?
Having worked for 8 years in Qatar and its desert climate and nature, I developed this urge for being in nature which is abundant in Lebanon, for enjoying the cultural scene that is vibrant in Beirut as well as the authentic villages and their heritage and warm habitants. My Doha experience made me appreciate these assets so much more and this is how I try to make most out of living here!

What is one of the biggest challenges of living in Lebanon after living abroad?
Driving, driving, and driving!
To me, this is not just about the mere chaotic driving challenge, but sadly, it reflects a whole negative side of Lebanon: the lack of organization, rules, and the absence of proper civic behavior and respect towards each other- unfortunately this is something not just limited to the streets!

How do you deal with these challenges?
Rather than dwelling on the negativity of these challenges, I just do my best to avoid being in such scenarios and avoiding confrontation, but at the end of the day, you just learn how to live with them. While driving, music is my best fix!
How have you implemented what you learned abroad into your life here?
What I mostly learned from living overseas and the people I have worked with, who were from different nationalities (the advantage of working in the Gulf!), was the importance of good civic behavior and abiding by the law/rules. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, this is the main challenge I am struggling with daily here but I still try to apply these values myself here, thinking that if we all start from ourselves, one day things might change on this front.

What are some of the sacrifices you have to make living in Lebanon?
Few things of course that I think are common to all people who have returned like me: major salary cut and losing the luxury of basic services- 24 hour electricity, water, good infrastructure and such.

What’s one of your favorite things about living in Lebanon again?
Being around family.
Beirut…I’m in love with this evergreen and super resilient city.
And of course, the beautiful nature spots that we have all over Lebanon, I’m a big fan of exploring the most hidden gems  and every road trip around our mountains leaves me more and more amazed by how much beauty we have!
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What would your advice be for other returnees?
Even though my overseas experience was mostly driven by incidents of political instability here, I now encourage everyone to leave the comfort zone and live a few years abroad for the enriching experience- on both the professional and personal levels. My advice is to do that and then return once you have achieved a certain level of financial stability that will allow you to survive the low salaries and the expensive cost of living here!

There is understandably plenty of negative things that makes so many people unwilling to return back but the key thing, if you decide to come back, is to exactly acknowledge this fact, embrace it and get over it as soon as you can. Focusing on the positive things rather than becoming stuck on our issues is how I get through the day, create yourself a bubble to live in (in a good way)- quality friends, interesting activities, and lots of getaways from the city- there is a lot to love and do in here!
If we keep giving our expertise and skills that cost us years of education and hard  work to the rest of the world and never to our own country, how can we ever hope for anything good to happen here? Be brave!

​TOG Team ft. Rana

Choosing to move back to Lebanon to launch your startup is a challenge and a risk, to say the least. But we're meeting more and more Lebanese entrepreneurs who believe in the potential of Lebanon. Plus, if you're able to start a business in Lebanon, with all of its obstacles, you can probably start a business anywhere. 

A few months ago, we met Rida and his team as they were in their idea stage of their startup. They're ambitious and inspiring, so we wanted to share Rida's story with you.

Did you have to come back or did you choose to come back? Why?
It was a bit of both – but the main driver was me wanting to come back. I arrived to NYC in August 2008 to start grad school in financial engineering – On September 15th Lehman Brothers collapsed and my entire plan to work on Wall Street changed drastically. By the time I graduated in 2010, the economy was in shambles, and I was already questioning the very decision of staying in the US. I’ve always been involved in activism in Lebanon since before I left, and at that time, I had a slight feeling that things were about to happen in the Middle East and I need to be there for that. I returned in December 2010 – In January 2011, the Arab Spring started, and I realized that it was the best decision I ever made. Some might say “but it all went to shit” – It did indeed. Change is cruel and gruesome, and I think that 20 years from now we will look back at 2010-2020 as the years where the Arab World changed. 

How do you make the most of living in Lebanon?
I try to connect with friends and family as much as possible – because I never know when I might move again. As for making the most of the country itself, I make it a point to do retreats every now and then, and explore the beauty of nature. I also find myself working out of cafes and coworking spaces every weekend, and meeting new people. But most importantly, outside of work, what gives me purpose is my big involvement in politics and activism in the country. I’ve been part of the campaign management teams of municipal and parliamentary campaigns. An experience that put me at the forefront of local, national and regional politics. 

What is one of the biggest challenges of living in Lebanon after living abroad?
I am more aware than ever of the small size of Lebanon – It’s more of a reality that’s always been there, but it just hit me personally. Lebanon is a very small country and a tiny market. If one wishes to grow financially, opportunities are limited. If you’re an employee, there is always that point when you have to relocate outside the country to keep growing. And as a business owner, Lebanon is never your only market. Now the challenge is that while we can consider the Arab World as a single from a consumer point of view (300-400M people who share a LOT in common), the economic and political realities beg to differ. Visas, different regulatory environments, and other restrictions stand in your way as a business owner. So to sum it up in one sentence, I would say that Lebanon doesn’t offer me the geographical “depth” that I can have if I were to stay in the US or live in Europe.

How do you deal with these challenges?
I am still trying to figure a way around this main challenge. I manage to create connections outside Lebanon as much as possible. In parallel, I try to support political platforms that aim to simplify economic exchange between Arab countries – because that’s the country’s only salvation. Unfortunately, we are landlocked today (Syria on the one end, and Occupied Palestine on the other), but politicians in the country need to be very aware that the country cannot survive without facilitating trade and economic exchange with neighboring Arab countries.

What would your advice be for other returnees?
Set your expectations right. Lebanon is beautiful, but there will be a point where it will undoubtedly stand in the way of your own personal growth and self-development. I encourage anyone to come back, but at the same time encourage them to understand what they’re giving up on the one end and what they’re gaining on the other end. I made that choice very consciously. I gave up an easy way to financial/career self-realization, but at the same time I gained a tremendous amount in awareness, and agency. Agency is very important here. No matter what the word out there is, you have agency in Lebanon. It’s a place undergoing change, and is part of a bigger regional context of change. You will be closer to the dirt, but closer to the glory as well ☺  

How have you implemented what you learned abroad into your life here?
Living abroad for a long time and on my own gave me a lot of independence. When I maintain this level of independence I am most efficient, productive and creative. Since I was in the US, I’ve had this practice of periodic “self-assessment” in which I ask myself the question: Am I too tied down in my life today? Do I have room to manoeuver and be flexible? This informs a lot of my life decisions. Of course there are things that “tie us down” that we choose, and that are beautiful (family, marriage, kids.). These are not the things I ask about. There are other unnecessary things that tie us down that we can control. A very simple example for me is owning a car if you live and work in Beirut. If you don’t have a family to care for, this is a terrible investment. 

Aside from that, I always remind myself to keep my perspective. I’ve gained this as a result of living abroad and interacting with so many different people and cultures. When you’re in Lebanon it is sometimes easy to fall into bad habits that make you lose sight of the big picture. I always remind myself that Lebanon is not the center of the world and never will be. In fact, no place is the center of the world. It allows me to stay sane, humane, and centered.  

What are some of the sacrifices you have to make living in Lebanon?
I sacrificed order and predictability in life, and clear/simple financial growth. But I learned to re-create all through alternative means.

What’s one of your favorite things about living in Lebanon again?
Honestly, the weather. And the fact that I am always 1 hour away from a different climate/weather. I can always escape the city very easily to rejuvenate. 

Why did you choose to launch your startup in Lebanon? 
Well it was mostly for practical reasons. I got funding here in Lebanon and I live here. My startup is in Fintech, which is a very tough area in Lebanon. So if I am able to validate it here, it will be easy to scale outside the country. 
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What are some of the challenges? What are some of the rewards of launching in Lebanon?
Market and regulation. Lebanon is a small market. My cofounders and I were very aware of this reality. We know that we will never realize the returns we want by staying in Lebanon. In fact any B2C business needs scale. And therefore, one needs to have enough funds to test and validate in Lebanon and then scale. Because revenue will not be enough to cover costs if it stays in Lebanon. Regulation, on the other hand, stands in the way of easy scaling.   

What’s your advice for other entrepreneurs launching in Lebanon? 
Remember that Lebanon is the size of Connecticut. If you want to address a “local” challenge only, do all the research and make sure that it could sustain itself financially. In fact, I am in my second startup. In the first startup it was obvious that our solution, while amazing, is not scalable. So we had to make the hard decision of dropping it. If we had enough money to launch it ourselves we would have probably done so, but we needed venture capital money. And VC’s will not invest in a business that is local only, because it is not enough to provide them with the returns they need. (Some VC’s are making the mistake of investing in local businesses. So be very aware of that as well.) 

TOG Team ft. Rida