RIYADH, Sept 9: Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states appear to be in a race to blunt the Hezbollah’s growing influence in Beirut and the region in the aftermath of the Lebanon invasion.

While Hezbollah has dished out $12,000 to families who have lost their homes, Saudi Arabia and others have pledged to foot a major portion of Lebanon’s $3.6 billion reconstruction bill.

Qatar has announced a contribution of $300 million, the United States offered $230 million and the European Union pledged $54 million. These pledges come on top of a flurry of aid from Gulf countries, where sympathy for the Lebanese plight still runs strong.

Saudi Arabia offered $500 million and Kuwait pledged $300 million. The two countries together deposited a further $1.5 billion in Lebanon’s central bank.

Saudi Arabia has also announced it would bear the fees for all students at a state school in Lebanon. The total damage to Lebanon’s economy, including losses from tourism and exports, has been estimated between $9 billion and $16 billion.