Economy

Lebanon Takes the Lead in Bread Production Advances

This is Beirut 11/07 19:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Antoine Seif Lebanon Tunisia Arab Bread Forum food security Bread-making

The President of the Lebanese Bakers’ Union, Antoine Seif, participated via videoconference in the Arab Bread Forum, held in Tunisia on July 10 and 11. The event, which focused on challenges facing the grain and bakery sectors, brought together representatives from the Tunisian government, as well as food safety experts and bakery unions from ...

SpotlightGovernment Finalizes Financial Appointments, Names Mazen Soueid as Head of the Banking Control Commission

Maurice Matta 11/07 19:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Banks Banque du Liban Economy

At midnight between Monday and Tuesday, June 9, the terms of the four vice governors of the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) expired: Wassim Mansouri, Bachir Yaqzan, Salim Chahine, and Alexander Mouradian, along with the mandate of the president and members of the Banking Control Commission and three members appointed as experts to the Capital ...

Finance Minister Reveals Details of Lebanon’s Upcoming Visit to Iraq

This is Beirut 11/07 19:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Yassine Jaber Lebanon Economy Iraq

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber revealed important details on Friday regarding the planned Lebanese ministerial visit to Baghdad. During a meeting with Iraq’s Chargé d’Affaires Mohammad Reda al-Husseini, Jaber revealed that the visit, originally scheduled for last month, had been postponed. The visit will address sensitive bilateral issues, ...

Global Oil Demand Slumps Amid Tariff Tensions, Says IEA

This is Beirut 11/07 17:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Oil IEA Donald Trump Tariffs

Growth in oil demand is anemic globally, with several countries in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump's tariff threats suffering drops, the IEA said Friday. Annual growth in oil demand fell from 1.1 million barrels per day (mbd) in the first quarter of the year to just 0.5 mbd in the second, the International Energy Agency said in ...

Touch Surpasses 2.6 Million Subscribers

This is Beirut 11/07 15:45 - Reading : less than a minute

lebanon Touch mobile telecommunication

Mobile operator Touch has announced a major milestone, reaching 2.6 million active subscribers, a record figure for Lebanon’s telecommunications industry. In a statement released Friday, the company said the unprecedented subscriber count marks the highest ever recorded by a mobile service provider in Lebanon. The achievement cements Touch’s ...

Solar Becomes Europe's Main Energy Source in June: Consultants

This is Beirut 11/07 11:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Europe Solar Energy

Solar power became the European Union's biggest single energy source for the first time in June, an energy think tank said Thursday. The Ember group that researches the clean energy transition said that 22.1 percent of Europe's power in June came from solar panels. That came ahead of nuclear power on 21.8 percent and wind turbines on 15.8 ...

MEA Goes Low-Cost: Launch Set for March 2027

Christiane Tager 10/07 18:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Middle East MEA Lebanon economy low-cost Beirut airport airline

Facing soaring fares and near-monopoly on direct routes, Lebanon’s national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) is preparing to shake up the market. Led by Chairman Mohamad El Hout, MEA plans to launch a low-cost subsidiary in March 2027, according to insiders. The new airline will start with 4 aircraft and offer tickets up to 30% cheaper than ...

Trump Pushes Japan to Import More American Rice, a Major Political Challenge for Tokyo

This is Beirut 10/07 10:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Japan Rice

Donald Trump’s demand that Japan, described as “spoiled”, buy more American rice is creating additional pressure for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is already facing a tough election that could bring his time in office to an end after less than a year. Japan is one of more than 20 countries receiving letters this week from the US ...

Numbeo: Lebanon Among Arab Countries Most Affected by Food Prices

This is Beirut 09/07 19:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Palestine Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates lebanon Egypt

Lebanon ranks among the Arab countries most affected by skyrocketing food prices, according to a new cost-of-living index published by global data platform Numbeo. In a nation still gripped by a severe and prolonged economic crisis, securing basic nutrition has become a daily struggle for much of the population. To meet the minimum nutritional ...

BDL Orders Institutions to Accept Old US Dollar Notes

This is Beirut 08/07 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

The Banque du Liban (BDL) has issued a directive requiring all banks, financial institutions, money exchange companies and electronic money transfer firms operating in Lebanon to accept all authentic US dollar banknotes, regardless of whether they are from older or newer series. In a statement released on Tuesday, the central bank emphasized that ...

NSSF Reforms End-of-Service Pay and Family Allowances

This is Beirut 08/07 11:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

NSSF Reforms Benefits Compensation

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has introduced major reforms, particularly in the calculation of end-of-service benefits and the distribution of family allowances. In a statement released on July 8, NSSF Director General Mohammad Karaki announced two official memos, which were part of a broader institutional reform plan. The measures ...

Bulgaria to Get Final Green Light to Adopt Euro in 2026

This is Beirut 08/07 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

European Union Bulgaria Euro

EU ministers are set to give the final green light on Tuesday for Bulgaria to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, when the country would become the single currency area's 21st member. The European Commission said last month that the EU's poorest country had fulfilled the strict conditions to adopt the euro, while the European Central Bank (ECB) ...