The continuation of the Syrian crisis has allowed many Lebanese who have never interacted with people from their neighboring country, Syria, to get to know some who counter the prevailing perceptions of Syrians in Lebanon. They have discovered that their neighbors are not the same in terms of culture, potentials, capabilities and lifestyle, but are rather diverse.

In fact, there is a rich Syrian class that is very similar in behavior to many Lebanese, who are, in general, fairly materialistic. This can be seen in the luxury brand cars they own and drive in the streets and suburbs of Beirut that are inhabited by the rich. It is also evident in the lobbies of luxury hotels and in expensive restaurants, which have become meeting places for wealthy Syrians, where the Damascene or Aleppo dialect prevails. It is worth noting that a large percentage of these Syrian women speak foreign languages, such as English or French. This is usually a sign that they descend from aristocratic families.

The discussions of these wealthy Syrians — or the well-to-do upper middle class, who can afford to pay $5 for a cup of coffee — focus on the harsh security, economic and political situation in Syria. They diverge in opinion, some seeing a possibility for a political solution, while others seeing no eventual peaceful solutions. Some believe that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has escaped the danger, while others assert that it is impossible for him to continue to rule Syria considering how the situation has developed.

Being mostly merchants, they closely follow the reactions, positions and communications of Western and Arab capitals on the crisis through various sources and contacts with both government and opposition officials.