Beirut Model Show

Every year on my birthday, my mind returns to February 1984, during one of the winter offensives of the Lebanese Civil War. That wave of fighting surprised us and forced the closure of schools for several months. At the time, there was no internet, no video games, and not even reliable electricity to watch television, whose broadcast hours had already been shortened..
I was fifteen years old. A few years earlier, I had set aside my favorite childhood toys—plastic soldiers and tanks of various kinds—with which I had recreated the war scenarios unfolding around me. In that tense atmosphere, and on my birthday, my sister presented me with a very special gift that would profoundly shape my life: two boxes of Matchbox tank models. I fell in love with them at first sight, and the passion they sparked did not only influence a part of my life—it came to define my entire life.

A few years later, at a time when the battles in Lebanon intensified, I spent some time in Sydney, Australia, with my older sister. There, I learned more about the art of plastic models’ building through IPMS New South Wales and high quality hobby shops that reached world class standards. I even discovered a specialized military book store, which I visited weekly and from which I bought many editions.

By the age of nineteen, an idea had crystallized in my mind: Why not have a model shop, exhibition space, and club for this hobby in Lebanon, just as I had seen in Australia? At the time, such a dream seemed unattainable in a country ravaged by war and ongoing crises.

At the end of 1990, after returning to my homeland, the war in Lebanon officially ended. Immediately afterward, I began working to bring together everyone who shared this passion, distributing paper flyers at several universities. At the same time, I started transforming Lebanese war scenes into detailed dioramas and writing reference works on the use of military vehicles in Lebanon (five books published so far). Step by step, I opened a model shop in 1997, made extensive use of the internet in 1998 to improve communication, and then organized the first Beirut Model Show in 2000. From that point on, many of you know what has followed, as our activities were posted on social media.

This year, amid difficult circumstances and due to the renewed conflict in Lebanon, the situation appeared to me as grim and the hobby itself seemed to be declining. So I brought together a group of fellow enthusiasts who have struggled alongside me for years to build the foundations of this hobby in Lebanon. On my birthday, we celebrated, exchanged ideas, and crafted new dreams, deciding together to build a better future by transforming today’s war scenes into dioramas, books, and other creative projects. We seek to triumph over the war and to revive hope in our hearts—the same hope that supported us through the darkest days and helped us overcome them through this deep passion that connects us to the world of plastic models and its broader culture.

Fellow hobbyists around the world, I invite you to share this, so that our message reaches every enthusiast of this hobby in every corner of the world. I promise you that we will prevail over these difficult circumstances and, together, produce many projects that will amaze you, with full confidence in the future.

Thank you for your continued follow up and support, and I look forward to seeing you at the events and activities that always bring us together on the same path toward greater achievements.

Respectfully..

AK Interactive M1008 light truck.

When it's cold outside, it's super warm at "The Worksop".
Sharing our beatiful , good , great moments.

In 2022, we embarked on a new journey with the Workshop—a distinctive space dedicated to the hobby of scale models and their assembly, designed to be a haven for all affiliated enthusiasts. Soon after, in a remarkable addition, we welcomed several hobbyists under the age of fifteen, launching with them a series of training and educational sessions aimed at transferring the knowledge and experience of skilled modelers to beginners.
All these efforts have blossomed into a thriving success beyond expectations. Today, we proudly see children as young as ten, sitting alongside adults in their thirties and forties, engaging in discussions about the hobby’s techniques and latest innovations. They spend hours immersed in creativity, enjoyment, and ingenuity through the Workshop’s activities—assembling and painting both traditional and modern models while exploring the limitless horizons of this captivating activity.
We invite you to join us—of all ages—to discover more of the art and novelties of our hobby, to enhance your talent, and to spend unforgettable, enjoyable moments with those who share the same passion inspired by the beauty of this fascinating craft.
Come and join us, we’re waiting for you!

Beatiful day at the "Workshop" ......

At the Workshop ....

Tri-tonal Camouflage on Dragon’s 1/35 Sd.kfz. 234/2 Puma.

Wrapped up and Primed Dragon’s 1/35 Sd.kfz. 234/2 Puma.

Wrapping up some of our Projects at The Workshop.

Busy guys at the Workshop 🇱🇧 🇱🇧

This Saturday at The Workshop, and did the Dust and Dirt Effect on the Tank and Diorama while .roger got some work done on the Figure’s Faces and Uniforms. We also took some time to teach some of our young members to build and paint single link tracks.

See You Next Saturday!