Lebanon’s new president and former army commander Joseph Aoun has maintained a low profile. Those who know him say he is no-nonsense, kind and averse to affiliating himself with any party or even expressing a political opinion — a rarity for someone in Lebanon’s fractured,

In a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who had called to congratulate him on winning the elections, Aoun said, “Saudi Arabia would be the first destination in his visits abroad”

After years of gridlock, Lebanon’s parliament elected Aoun, the chief military commander, as president. His win could unlock money for postwar reconstruction.