Salma & Ali

Kindly RSVP here by August 10th, 2021

Black Tie

To and from the airport:

Ahead of your flight to Beirut, go ahead and book a taxi to pick you up and drop you off at your hotel / Airbnb / anywhere else you’re staying.

3 of the most popular taxi services in Lebanon are: Allo Taxi, White Taxi, and Charlie Taxi. You can contact them through WhatsApp, or by calling them directly.

With regards to Uber, there have been changing rules and regulations, and at times they’ve been prohibited from picking up / dropping off people at the airport. It’s safest and most convenient to book a taxi company.

To and from the wedding venue:

The wedding venue is a ~30KM drive north of Beirut. The road there typically sees heavy traffic, particularly on Friday afternoons, between Beirut and Jounieh. Please plan to leave early – budget at least 1-1.5 hours to get there.

We are preparing for buses to take you to and from the venue. The pick up point will be Virgin Megastore parking in downtown, right next to Le Gray hotel. If you’d like to take the bus, please let us know directly.

Booking a taxi through a company (e.g., Allo, White, or Charlie) is a great way to travel if you don’t want to take the bus.

Around Beirut / Lebanon:

In addition to taxi companies mentioned above, Uber is a convenient method of transport throughout the city. They’re readily available and particularly cost effective (just make sure you’ve got Lebanese Pounds as mentioned above!).

Here is a drawing of how to get to the venue if you're driving there.

7:00 PM - Welcome Drinks

8:00 PM - Wedding Reception and Party

12:00 AM - Afterparty

The latest guidance on entry into Lebanon is as follows:

● If you’ve been fully vaccinated (at least two weeks since your last dose): you do not require a PCR test before travel. You will only be required to take a PCR test at the airport in Beirut upon arrival.

● If you’ve received only one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine (at least two weeks since your last dose): you will need to a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 96 hours prior to departure. You will also be required to take a PCR test at the airport in Beirut upon arrival.

● If you aren’t vaccinated at all, please be careful! Lebanon currently mandates a 3-night hotel quarantine unvaccinated passengers coming from the UK, Cyprus, Turkey, Brazil, the UAE, Iraq, India, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Liberia, Kenya, Gambia, and Sierra Leone.

Check out updates on travel requirements in the link below. We’ll be sure to reach out in case of any important updates. Please check with us before traveling if you’re not sure and need any clarifications!

Additionally:

90% of those coming to the wedding are coming from abroad. Everyone will have to do a PCR at Beirut airport, and majority of the guests have been double vaccinated.

Our venue is outdoors and very spacious. There will be masks and sanitizers available for everyone and seating plans have taken social distancing into consideration.

If you have any concerns about the precautions we’re taking, please let us know.

The Lebanese Pound has lost more than 90% of its value in the last 18 months, with hyperinflation particularly worsening in the last few months. More importantly, there is a large discrepancy between the current official USD:LBP exchange rates (which vary between $1 = LBP1,500 (official government rate), $1 = LBP 3,900 (bank rate), and $1 = LBP12,000 (official currency exchanges)), and the real value of the Lebanese Pound on the market ($1 = ~LBP20,000 at the time of writing). That’s right, that’s more than up to a 13x difference!

Because of this, it is extremely important that you bring cash with you to Lebanon to finance your entire stay here. Plan to bring US Dollars (or Euros, GBP, etc.), and we will help arrange to exchange for you into Lebanese Pounds at the day’s market rate. Only use Lebanese Pounds during your entire stay – no credit cards (or else you’ll overpay by literally 13x on all of your purchases)! The only exception to this rule are hotels, where they’ll charge by USD directly. Everything else – food, drinks, taxis, Ubers, shopping, etc. – should be paid in cash using Lebanese Pounds.

Again, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. We’ll make sure everything goes smoothly for you in Beirut.