B
eirut Waterfront is emerging as a
nightlife destination. It has attracted
around ten club owners who favor
open air venues, away from residential
properties and in the center of the capital.
Club owners are making large investments
and expecting returns within two years.WHY THE BOOM?
Michel Éléftériadès was the first to open at
the Waterfront with Music Hall, a theatre
venue and club, in 2012. One year later,
Sky Management built O1NE Beirut in
the same area, and reopened its nightlife
landmark Skybar on O1NE’s rooftop. AHM
nightclub followed suit in the same year,
while many other nightclub management
companies have recently expanded to
Beirut Waterfront. A prime area in the
center of Beirut with large sites was the
key to attracting the club’s owners. “The
Waterfront is a key location with a large
catchment area, linking west Beirut to its
east,” said Éléftériadès. Set away from
residential areas, Beirut Waterfront is more
noise tolerant, which is an important factor
for club owners. Other popular areas, such as
Monot, Gemayzeh, Hamra, and Mar Mikhael
have always had residents complaining
about the noise, which eventually affected
their overall activity. “This is making the
Waterfront more attractive,” said Rabih
Fakhreddine, CEO of Seven Management.
According to Malek Tambourgi, Marketing
Manager of SKY Management, Beirut
Waterfront offers panoramic views over
the sea, which makes it a suitable site
for nightclubs. “The area also attracts
foreign tourists who are staying in the
capital,” Tambourgi said. The leasing costs
were carefully studied and are affordable,
according to Tambourgi.LARGE INVESTMENTS
Club owners are allocating large investments
to Beirut Waterfront, especially as most
of them are leasing empty land plots and
building their clubs from scratch. SKY
Management has invested $4 million in
O1NE, which covers 3,000 square meters
(m^2 ). “The company invested a lot in O1NE
because it was built as an innovative club
that mixes art, luxury, technology, and
ingenious engineering,” Tambourgi said.
Skybar, which was launched in 2006 as a
restaurant and club on the Palm Beach
rooftop in Beirut Waterfront, closed in
2015 due to a fire that ravaged the venue.
Investment in the new Skybar reached $350 LEBANON OPPORTUNITIES, AUGUST 2019
A nightclubbing hub
Beirut Waterfront
Ten nightclubs share the area
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