'Israel' destroys Lebanese chef’s tourism project after restaurant loss
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- The destruction of his unopened "Buyut Al-Mulouk" villas follows the total leveling of Fayad’s primary resort and wedding venue, "Arsh Al-Mulouk," in Wadi Al-Hujeir.
- Fayad documented the immediate aftermath on Instagram, lamenting that two years of intensive construction and employee labor were destroyed just as the project reached completion.
Lebanese chef and culinary content creator Hussein Fayad has suffered a second major blow to his livelihood after 'Israeli' airstrikes completely destroyed his newly constructed tourism project, "Buyut Al-Mulouk" (Houses of Kings), in South Lebanon before its official opening.
The latest destruction comes just months after an ‘Israeli’ strike in June leveled his family’s famous resort and restaurant, "Arsh Al-Mulouk" (Throne of Kings), located in Wadi Al-Hujeir.
Fayad, who trained at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute in Paris and has amassed millions of followers online showcasing traditional Lebanese cuisine, took to Instagram to share photos and statements reflecting on the destruction of his latest venture.
The unreleased project comprised six luxury rental villas and a large-scale commercial kitchen.
عرض هذا المنشور على Instagram
Fayad posted on instagram reflecting on the years of labor reduced to rubble before the resort could welcome its first guests, "I remember every stone built, every effort by every employee put into this beautiful place... today it all became rubble. My heart aches, but with God, no good deed is lost. Praise be to God,” he said.
He also stated: "My dream was for the world to see the beauty of Lebanon and the South. I wish the world could see the injustice and pain happening to us, especially the diaspora who knows and feels the value of the land... Oh my beloved South, what is happening to you?"
The destruction of "Buyut Al-Mulouk" follows the total loss of Fayad's primary establishment, "Arsh Al-Mulouk," which had operated in South Lebanon for over a decade.
The 25,000-square-meter landmark served as a popular local resort, wedding venue, and major employer for approximately 80 workers in the region.
During heightened military escalation in 2024, Fayad transformed the venue's kitchens to prepare up to 600 daily hot meals for families displaced by cross-border fighting.
'Israeli' airstrikes and military operations in Lebanon have repeatedly struck commercial enterprises, agricultural sites, and local business infrastructure, causing widespread disruption to the nation's economy.
The strikes have demolished private investments, ranging from micro-financial institutions and industrial facilities to local hospitality projects and agricultural farmlands, often leaving small business owners and regional employers with catastrophic financial losses.
While 'Israeli' authorities frequently claim that their targets are tied to Hezbollah's financial networks or operational infrastructure, human rights organizations and Lebanese officials emphasize that the destruction of private properties, local stores, and farming communities has severely eroded civilian livelihoods and further crippled an economy already suffering from years of severe financial instability.
