For decades, the Gulf served as the centre of gravity for much of Lebanon’s creative talent, with swathes of designers and marketing executives flocking to its cities to find clients or relying on its foundations and cultural centres for funding, Reuters reports.

But with Gulf economies now under pressure from a nearly six-month-old regional war, Lebanese creatives say financing and work opportunities are drying up.

Uncertainty linked to the conflict has prompted Gulf-based clients to postpone projects, reduce budgets and slow payments, leading to layoffs and income declines, Lebanese professionals in advertising, branding and communications told Reuters.

Fashion school Creative Space Beirut (CSB) relied on donations and partnerships with individuals and institutions in the Gulf to keep its courses free for underprivileged students.

CSB hoped those avenues could yield $500,000 this year, but its co-founder and CEO Sarah Hermez told Reuters the regional war meant Gulf-based donors went into “survival mode” and that many “promises weren’t able to be met”.

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