Lebanon’s property market is literally soaring ahead in defiance of the financial crisis affecting most other countries.

Prices keep rising and new projects keep getting launched. The latest high-profile building to be announced is the Sama Beirut tower. When completed, the 50-storey building would be the tallest in Lebanon.

A spokesman for the developer, the Lebanese investor Fady Antonios, said: 'Sama Beirut is paving the way for a new trend in the capital. Towers are definitely popular in the city and in its suburbs due to the lack of space.'

The National