Clik here to view.
What to expect from Lebanese banks in 2017
On the banking sector’s consolidation front, 2016 saw some action. The already conjoined lenders BIT and NECB rebranded as Saradar Bank, and the acquisition of Bank Pharaon and Chiha by Byblos Bank and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Analysis of banking sector results
The profitability of alpha banks – those with deposits above $2 billion – has grown in the third quarter of 2016 when measured by the improved return on average equity (ROAE). The ROAE ratio at end of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Freedom of insurance
The Lebanese insurance industry seems to be in need of new energy. Not only in terms of its objective to participate in the covers of the future oil and gas industry, but also in its fundamental...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A frank, but hopeful, view
Executive spoke with German Ambassador Martin Huth to follow up on Germany’s aid commitment to Lebanon, the development of bilateral economic relations in 2016 and to chart expectations for 2017. E...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The lights are on, but no one’s at home
Property developers with projects in and immediately around Beirut are in trouble. In late November, Massaad Fares – president of REAL, Lebanon’s syndicate for real estate brokers and consultants –...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The view from Beirut
All of the figures revealed by RAMCO’s research department confirm a slump in Beirut’s real estate market. A finer analysis of these figures yields some hopeful – and other more worrying – conclusions....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Light at the end of the tunnel?
It has been a long five years for Lebanon’s hotel industry, marked by an ever-dwindling tourism market. With the election of a president in October 2016, however, that period may soon be over. Just...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Visiting Lebanon
With Lebanon looking to diversify its tourism market away from tourists from the GCC region, China seems to be an obvious choice. According to the China Tourism Research Institute, 120 million Chinese...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A balancing act
It’s been a mixed year for Lebanon’s retailers and luxury retailers. On the one hand, shoppers were once again bombarded with text messages urging them to hurry up and benefit from the latest discounts...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Free minds of Lebanon, unite!
Our economy is in tatters, and we lack uninterrupted basic services like electricity, water and waste management. There is no acceptable explanation for why our country is near ruin. Fixing these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A full load of plans to spur on the economy
If there is unanimity concerning Lebanon, it is that the new government signifies a chance to put the country on a new track that will create prosperity and inclusive growth for Lebanese society. At...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Real risks and fake pathos
It is a funny thing with collective risk awareness. Human existence is full of perpetual risk, but our awareness of various risks differ. Even if different risks are equal in frequency and magnitude,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to have a fair election
The goal of any electoral law in a representative democracy is fair and accurate representation. Many people in the country have argued that even with parliamentary seats divided among the country’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A roadmap for the first licensing round
On January 4 2017, the Lebanese government approved what many observers have been waiting for since March 2013: two oil and gas decrees, without which the country’s first licensing round could not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The administration’s missing cogs
Try driving an aged Mercedes 280 of W123 vintage all the way from Tyre to Tripoli with a faulty gearbox or without a fan belt. Possible? It might be. Temporary fixes such as a pair of tights have been...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Putting meat on the skeleton of the state
Walking through the center of Beirut, Nejmeh Square, to the steps leading up to the Lebanese Ministry of Finance (MoF) is even more eerie today than it was 19 years ago. Back then, Downtown was still...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shedding light on a black market
This past November Lebanese authorities disrupted a smuggling operation that had evaded detection for over a decade. The items trafficked were mobile phones to the tune of 2.5 million devices valued at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Yossi Alpher, No End of Conflict
Yossi Alpher, a veteran of Israel’s intelligence services, starts “No End of Conflict” with a personal and emotional account of his role in an attempt to reunite two sisters from the Holy Land,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The power of a snowflake
Someone must have been smiling down at Lebanon this past December. For the first time in at least five years, it snowed early enough in the year that the Cedars Ski Resort – home to Lebanon’s highest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Of spirits and whiskies
Whether it’s a vodka cocktail while dancing at a club, a glass of wine over dinner, a single malt paired with a cigar after a long day, or even arak to go with the Sunday mezze spread, alcohol is often...
View Article