TRIPOLI, Lebanon: From the street below it’s easy to miss the workers daubing rooftops as part of an ambitious art project in two battle-scarred neighborhoods of Lebanon’s Tripoli.
But the Ashekman street art duo behind the project say that once they’re done, the pistachio-green rooftops they are painting will spell out the word “salam” — Arabic for “peace” — on a scale visible from space.
The project, three years in the making, is the brainchild of 34-year-old twins Mohamed and Omar Kabbani.
They researched and rejected multiple locations in their native Lebanon before settling on Tripoli.
They chose a site spanning the Bab Al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods, which have fought successive rounds of armed clashes in recent years.
“We jumped from one location to another and finally we decided to do it here in Tripoli, specifically in Bab Al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, an area that has been in conflict,” said Omar Kabbani.
“We’re painting the word ‘salam’ across 85 building rooftops over 1.3 kilometers... to convey that people here are peaceful,” he said.
“And Lebanon in general, we want peace.”
Peace has been elusive in Sunni-majority Bab Al-Tebbaneh and the adjacent Alawite-majority Jabal Mohsen.
Fighters from the two areas have battled each other periodically for decades, and the war in neighboring Syria, pitting a Sunni-dominated uprising against Alawite President Bashar Assad, has further stirred existing enmities.
The clashes have gouged hundreds of bullet holes into building facades, while mortar fire has blasted through walls, rendering some homes uninhabitable.
Fighting between the neighborhoods has eased in the last two years, but photos of those killed in the most recent violence remain plastered across both areas.
Ashekman’s project runs on either side of the infamous Syria Street separating the two neighborhoods. The duo hired workers from across the divide to help them complete the project.
“All of the workers live here in the neighborhood, they lived the conflict, some of them got shot,” Omar Kabbani said.
“Two years ago they were hiding from bullets... now they’re painting their rooftops proudly.”
The brothers are sensitive to the observation that their project does little to address the most obvious scars of fighting or the area’s desperate poverty, often identified as a catalyst of the violence.
They say they chose paint that will seal rooftops against rain and reflect ultra-violet rays, cooling the homes below.
And in order to paint the rooftops, they had to negotiate with residents and often had to clear large amounts of trash and debris.
“It took us around 10 days just to remove all the garbage on the rooftops,” said Kabbani.
“With the garbage came a couple of rats, and we fought with some rats. It wasn’t an easy task,” he said, laughing.
Walid Abu Heit, 29, joined the project as a painter after hearing about it from March, a Lebanese NGO that has worked on reconciliation and rehabilitation in the rival neighborhoods.
He was born in Bab Al-Tebbaneh and worked at a dairy, but lost his job after violence erupted.
“It was very difficult when fighting broke out,” he said.
“Darkness engulfed the neighborhood. People stopped coming here.”
He and other workers lugged heavy tubs of paint up seven floors and began plastering a roof with the fluorescent green, which flecked his hands and boots.
“It’s an amazing project,” he said, smiling and shading his eyes from the blazing sun.
“The word peace, it’s a great word... we haven’t seen it for a long time, now we’re seeing it again.”
Art brings ‘peace’ to battle-scarred Lebanon districts
Art brings ‘peace’ to battle-scarred Lebanon districts
From historic desert landscapes to sound stages: AlUla’s bid to become the region’s film capital
DUBAI: AlUla is positioning itself as the center of cinema for the MENA region, turning its dramatic desert landscapes, heritage sites and newly built studio infrastructure into jobs, tourism and long‑term economic opportunity.
In a wide‑ranging interview, Zaid Shaker, executive director of Film AlUla, and Philip J. Jones, chief tourism officer for the Royal Commission for AlUla, laid out an ambitious plan to train local talent, attract a diverse slate of productions and use film as a catalyst for year‑round tourism.
“We are building something that is both cultural and economic,” said Shaker. “Film AlUla is not just about hosting productions. It’s about creating an entire ecosystem where local people can come into sustained careers. We invested heavily in facilities and training because we want AlUla to be a place where filmmakers can find everything they need — technical skill, production infrastructure and a landscape that offers limitless variety. When a director sees a location and says, ‘I can shoot five different looks in 20 minutes,’ that changes the calculus for choosing a destination.”
At the core of the strategy are state‑of‑the‑art studios operated in partnership with the MBS Group, which comprises Manhattan Beach Studios — home to James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels. “We have created the infrastructure to compete regionally and internationally,” said Jones. “Combine those studios with AlUla’s natural settings and you get a proposition that’s extremely attractive to producers; controlled environment and unmatched exterior vistas within a short drive. That versatility is a real selling point. We’re not a one‑note destination.”
The slate’s flagship project, the romantic comedy “Chasing Red,” was chosen deliberately to showcase that range. “After a number of war films and heavy dramas shot here, we wanted a rom‑com to demonstrate the breadth of what AlUla offers,” said Shaker. “‘Chasing Red’ uses both our studio resources and multiple on‑location settings. It’s a story that could have been shot anywhere — but by choosing AlUla we’re showing how a comical, intimate genre can also be elevated by our horizons, our textures, our light.
“This film is also our first under a broader slate contract — so it’s a proof point. If ‘Chasing Red’ succeeds, it opens the door for very different kinds of storytelling to come here.”
Training and workforce development are central pillars of the program. Film AlUla has engaged more than 180 young Saudis in training since the start of the year, with 50 already slated to join ongoing productions. “We’re building from the bottom up,” said Shaker. “We start with production assistant training because that’s often how careers begin. From there we provide camera, lighting, rigging and data-wrangling instruction, and we’ve even launched soft‑skill offerings like film appreciation— courses that teach critique, composition and the difference between art cinema and commercial cinema. That combination of technical and intellectual training changes behavior and opens up real career pathways.”
Jones emphasized the practical benefits of a trained local workforce. “One of the smartest strategies for attracting productions is cost efficiency,” he said. “If a production can hire local, trained production assistants and extras instead of flying in scores of entry‑level staff, that’s a major saving. It’s a competitive advantage. We’ve already seen results: AlUla hosted 85 productions this year, well above our initial target. That momentum is what we now aim to convert into long‑term growth.”
Gender inclusion has been a standout outcome. “Female participation in our training programs is north of 55 percent,” said Shaker. “That’s huge. It’s not only socially transformative, giving young Saudi women opportunities in an industry that’s historically male-dominated, but it’s also shaping the industry culture here. Women are showing up, learning, and stepping into roles on set.”
Looking to 2026, their targets are aggressive; convert the production pipeline into five to six feature films and exceed 100 total productions across film, commercials and other projects. “We want private-sector partners to invest in more sound stages so multiple productions can run concurrently,” said Jones. “That’s how you become a regional hub.”
The tourism case is both immediate and aspirational. “In the short term, productions bring crews who fill hotels, eat in restaurants and hire local tradespeople,” said Shaker. “In the long term, films act as postcards — cinematic invitations that make people want to experience a place in person.”
Jones echoed that vision: “A successful film industry here doesn’t just create jobs; it broadcasts AlUla’s beauty and builds global awareness. That multiplies the tourism impact.”
As “Chasing Red” moves into production, Shaker and Jones believe AlUla can move from an emerging production destination to the region’s filmmaking epicenter. “We’re planting seeds for a cultural sector that will bear economic fruit for decades,” said Shaker. “If we get the talent, the infrastructure and the stories right, the world will come to AlUla to film. And to visit.”
