Lebanese hairstylist expands footprint in Pakistan with Lahore salon launch

Handout photos released by Michael K. Salon shows Lebanese hairstylist Michael Kanaan at work in his salon in Lahore, Pakistan.
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Updated 14 May 2025
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Lebanese hairstylist expands footprint in Pakistan with Lahore salon launch

  • Michael Kanaan moved to Pakistan over two decades ago and has worked in Beirut, Cairo and Dubai
  • Luxury salons are gaining ground in Pakistan amid rising demand in a largely informal grooming market

ISLAMABAD: A Lebanese hairstylist known for bringing international styling techniques to Pakistan has opened a new salon in the eastern city of Lahore, expanding his presence in the country’s high-end grooming market.

Michael Kanaan, who began his career as a teenage apprentice in Mount Lebanon, has worked in Beirut, Cairo, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He moved to Pakistan more than two decades ago and launched his first salon in Islamabad in 2009 with his wife and business partner, Elizabeth Whitney Kanaan.

Known for his distinctive personal style and precision-based technique, Kanaan has built a reputation among diplomats, socialites and professionals in the Pakistani capital. His salons now employ more than 30 staff, including four international stylists.

“Expanding into Lahore is a big step for us,” Kanaan was quoted in a statement circulated after the launch of the Lahore branch last week.

“It’s fresh energy and a new audience. We’re quite excited about bringing what we do to a whole new community while growing the brand in a way that still feels personal and true to our roots.”

With rising demand for luxury grooming services in Pakistan’s urban centers, salons offering international standards are carving out space in a market still dominated by informal setups.

Kanaan said a key focus remains on consistent training and long-term client relationships.

“The beauty industry has evolved in so many ways,” he said, “but at its heart, it’s always been about making people feel beautiful, confident and empowered.”


Pakistan PM expresses solidarity with Morrocco as building collapse kills 22

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Pakistan PM expresses solidarity with Morrocco as building collapse kills 22

  • Two adjacent four-story buildings, housing eight families, collapsed in Morocco’s Fez city on Wednesday
  • Such building collapses are not uncommon in Moroccan cities that are undergoing rapid population growth

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed solidarity with Morocco and prayed for rescue efforts on Thursday as 22 people were reported dead after two buildings collapsed in the country’s Fez city. 

Morocco’s state news agency, MAP, reported on Wednesday that two adjacent four-story buildings, which housed eight families, collapsed overnight in Fez. Sixteen people were injured and taken to the hospital as authorities said the neighborhood had been evacuated, and search and rescue efforts were ongoing. 

Moroccan authorities said they had opened an investigation into the incident, while MAP reported that the structures were built in 2006 during an initiative called “City Without Slums.”

“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the swift recovery of the wounded,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. “We stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Morocco in this hour of grief, and pray for the success of the ongoing rescue efforts.”

https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1998940192879911417

Such building collapses are not uncommon in Moroccan cities undergoing rapid population growth. A collapse in May in Fez killed 10 people and injured seven in a building that had been slated for evacuation, according to Moroccan outlet Le360.

Building codes are often not enforced in Morocco, especially in ancient cities where aging, multifamily homes of cinderblock are common. 

Infrastructure inequality was a focus of protests that swept the country earlier this year, with demonstrators criticizing the government for investing in new stadiums instead of addressing inequality in health care, education and other public services.

With additional input from AP