Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines may be the only flag carrier in the world whose in-flight entertainment includes a film that focuses on the host city's central bank. The film – a history of Banque du Liban – concludes with a slide in bold lettering, declaring governor Riad Salamé to be the “absolute master of the Lebanese pound”. It’s a curious ending for a documentary, but not completely fanciful.
Putting the film on the playlist speaks of the pride that Lebanon takes in its central bank, a rare source of stability in turbulent times. Governor since 1993, Mr Salamé is a national figure in Lebanon, where some taxi drivers say he should be running the country. He is qualified to do so, technically speaking. The country’s complicated constitution stipulates that only a Maronite Christian may be president, and Mr Salamé is a Maronite.
