Nicolas Chammas, president of the Beirut Traders Association and general secretary of the Lebanese Economic Organization warned of a new batch of taxes prepared "in secret" that could aggravate the economic burden on the private sector and affect the whole Lebanese, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived Sunday in Abu Dhabi for a two-day official visit to the UAE.

During the visit, Hariri will meet with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and will participate Monday in the UAE-Lebanon investment forum, sponsored by the UAE Ministry of Economy and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, at the St. Regis Hotel, his office said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has described Lebanon as “a bus without a driver,” in remarks during a speech in Canada.

“There are currently two imminent threats to Lebanon: the first is a security-military-strategic threat, seeing as Lebanon is currently like a bus without a driver, which is being driven by someone other than the one behind the steering wheel, and we don’t know where he’ll take us,” Geagea told the LF’s 23rd North American convention in Canada.

The syndicates of fuel station owners and fuel tanker owners and a representative of fuel distributors on Sunday called off a strike previously scheduled for Monday after a settlement was reached with fuel importers over the currency that should be used in transactions.

At a press conference, the head of the syndicate of fuel station owners, Sami al-Brax, thanked President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri for “their efforts in reaching this solution.”

Civil society activists on Sunday staged a new demonstration in central Beirut to protest the country’s dire economic situations.

The demo started at Martyrs Square before moving to the nearby Riad al-Solh Square where the government’s headquarters is located.

Lebanese officials hailed on Saturday a court verdict indicting the accused in the 1999 assassination of four judges in the southern city of Sidon.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri is scheduled to start a two-day visit on Sunday to the UAE where he is set to meet Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday.

Hariri is also set to participate in the UAE-Lebanon Investment Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi on Monday in the presence of Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, and a number of ministers and state officials.

In light of a worsening economic situation grappling Lebanon, Prime Minister Saad Hariri seeks to “overcome” the obstacles with “hard work” without any intention to step back, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil held talks Friday at the Center House, following tensions between their two parties.

Describing the meeting with Bassil as “very good,” Hariri told reporters that his relation with the FPM chief remained intact despite the tensions between the FPM and al-Mustaqbal Movement.

The syndicate of fuel distributors and owners of fuel stations and tankers on Friday decided to stage a strike on Monday “unless the ongoing contacts result in solutions that satisfy those who work in the sector,” in connection with the dollar rationing crisis in the country.

The syndicate of money changers for its part threatened that the entire sector might stage an open-ended strike or close shops permanently if the “unjust accusations” against it continue, stressing that its work is “legal.”