AL BAYDAR

Among the projects approved as part of the third edition of Wip is also that of Elias El Khoury, an entrepreneur who, hit hard by the Lebanese economic crisis, decided to reinvent himself by giving new vitality to the business started many years ago by his grandparents. His “treasure” is rose water, obtained by painstakingly picking high-altitude flowers in the Jazzine mountains, 70 km from Beirut, and then processing them with techniques passed down through generations.

However, it is not easy to resist the many difficulties of the country, especially if the machinery is outdated. Thanks to Wip, Elias was able to connect with some Veneto entrepreneurs who operate on the hills around Verona: not only could he expand his knowledge by following a sort of refresher course in Italy, but he also received in Beirut a professional machine, a distiller capable of enhancing his rosemary-based products, bitter orange, and other aromas. And for the future there is already hope for a collaboration to also produce soaps, perfumes, typical beverages, and foods of the tradition.