Economy

Lebanon Launches National Agricultural Campaign to Revive Sector’s Strategic Role

This is Beirut 21/05 11:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Agriculture Lebanon Sustainability Climate Food Security Farming

An agricultural conference titled “Agriculture is the Earth’s Pulse” was held on Wednesday, gathering key political, agricultural and economic figures to address the challenges and future of Lebanon’s agricultural sector. In the opening session, Charles Arbid, President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (ESEC), noted the ...

Lebanon Among Top 10 Arab Countries in UN Human Development Ranking

This is Beirut 21/05 10:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon HDI UNDP Education Development

In its 33rd Human Development Report, titled “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World,” the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranks Lebanon among countries with high human development, assigning it a Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.752 for the year 2023. Lebanon ranks 102nd out of 193 globally and ...

Oil Prices Jump on Report of Israel Prepping Iran Strike

This is Beirut 21/05 10:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Oil Prices Stocks

Crude prices surged Wednesday following a report that US intelligence suggested Israel was planning a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, which would send geopolitical tensions into overdrive and fuel regional conflict fears. While safe haven gold pushed almost two percent higher, the news from CNN appeared to be having little detrimental ...

Epic Games says Fortnite Back on Apple's US App Store

This is Beirut 21/05 09:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States USA Fortnite

Epic Games on Tuesday said its hit game "Fortnite" has returned to Apple's digital App Store in the United States after being sidelined for years due to a legal battle with the iPhone maker. "Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the US on iPhones and iPads... and on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the EU!" the game maker proclaimed in a post ...

China Slams US 'Bullying' Over new Warnings on Huawei Chips

This is Beirut 21/05 09:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Huawei China Semiconductor

Beijing condemned on Wednesday new US warnings on the use of AI chips by Chinese tech giant Huawei, vowing it would take steps against "bullying" efforts to restrict access to high-tech semiconductors and supply chains. Washington has sought in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that they could be used to ...

Arak, Wine, and Resilience: Syria’s Toast to the World

Christiane Tager 20/05 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus United Nations

Syria, long recognized as the birthplace of distillation and fermentation, is a land where arak and wine embody the essence of the terroir, the resilience of its people, and the vibrancy of its local communities. The Alawite and Christian populations play a vital role in sustaining this heritage, actively shaping the production of both arak and ...

The ‘Sunn Pest:’ A Tiny Insect and a Major Threat to Lebanon’s Wheat

Christiane Tager 19/05 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanese Army

As Lebanon’s farmers grapple with worsening drought, labor shortages and rising tensions along the border, another crisis is taking root – literally. A familiar pest, the sunn pest, is back, and it’s putting the country’s wheat harvest at serious risk. The sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps), commonly known as the wheat bug, may be small, ...

Nvidia Unveils Plans for Taiwan’s First AI Supercomputer

This is Beirut 19/05 11:38 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States USA Huang Nvidia

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang announced plans for Taiwan's "first AI supercomputer", as he showcased on Monday the company's latest advances in artificial intelligence. Global semiconductor chip giants have gathered in Taiwan for the island's top tech expo, Computex, as the sector grapples with the impact of US tariffs and disrupted supply ...

Brazil Lifts Tariffs on Lebanese Olive Oil, Opening Door to Export Boost

This is Beirut 17/05 20:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Brazil Olive oil Tariffs

Brazil has officially scrapped import tariffs on Lebanese olive oil, a move expected to boost the Lebanese exports and enhance the product's competitiveness in a key international market. In a statement released on Saturday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture announced that Brazilian authorities have decided to eliminate the 9% customs duty ...

Figure of the weekInterest on Lebanese Pound Deposits Drops

Liliane Mokbel 17/05 14:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Banque du Liban

2% — that’s the average interest rate on deposits in Lebanese pounds, according to the latest figures released by the Banque du Liban for March 2025. This represents a clear decline from 2.86% in February, although it remains higher than the rate recorded a year earlier in March 2024, when it stood at just 1%. In contrast, interest rates on ...

Lebanon Seeks World Bank Loans to Boost Energy, Water Sectors

This is Beirut 16/05 18:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Energy Water Infrastructure Loan World Bank

Lebanon is advancing efforts to tackle its energy and water crises by activating two major loans from the World Bank. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber announced that the Council of Ministers has approved Decree No. 217, tied to a $250 million loan to develop renewable energy and strengthen the national power grid. The project, prepared on an urgent ...

ExplainerBeirut Travel Comes at a Cost: Sky-High Airfares Limit Access to Lebanon

Christiane Tager 16/05 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Airfare Ticket Travel Beirut Flight

Traveling to Lebanon is increasingly out of reach for many people. What was once a relatively accessible destination has turned into a high-end experience—something akin to boarding your flight straight from the Hermès boutique at the airport. This summer, airfare prices have reached near-absurd levels: a round-trip ticket from Paris to Beirut ...