Lebanon had been hoping this summer would see the return of tens of thousands of expats and tourists to the crisis-hit Mediterranean nation, spending money in resorts and restaurants and attending festivals such as a famed one in an ancient Roman city.

The government's decision to disarm militant groups in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, has drawn both domestic support and rejection.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are dangling reconstruction and investment funds for Lebanon — but only if the crisis-plagued country can put forward a plan to disarm Hezbollah, with the US offering to act as an intermediary.