Economy

Association of Banks Criticizes Draft Gap Law
Association of Banks Criticizes Draft Gap Law

The Association of Banks in Lebanon addressed an open letter to the three presidents, as well as to all Lebanese citizens—particularly depositors—in which it expressed its opposition to the contents of the draft law on the financial gap, whose ninth version was recently leaked. The Association said that “the draft contains serious ...

Financial Gap Threatens Depositors Amid Government Inaction
Financial Gap Threatens Depositors Amid Government Inaction

Amid ongoing government debates over the draft law addressing the financial shortfall and the fate of deposits, concern is growing within economic and banking circles over the plan’s potential direction. Each new draft leak highlights a deep disagreement—over how losses should be allocated and the extent of the burden the state must shoulder ...

 Yassine Jaber: Your Own Words Confirm the Crisis Is Systemic!
Yassine Jaber: Your Own Words Confirm the Crisis Is Systemic!

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber’s recent statements stand out for his comparison of the Lebanese financial crisis with those in countries such as Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal. In this comparison, he is once again off the mark. In fact, Cyprus experienced only a conventional banking crisis, while Greece and Portugal faced financial crises ...

Jaber’s Blunt Truth: The Law that Destroys Banks and Wipe Out Savings
Jaber’s Blunt Truth: The Law that Destroys Banks and Wipe Out Savings

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber did not mince words: “The banks will be the first losers” if the Financial Gap Law is enacted. And if the banks lose, depositors inevitably lose too. The draft law places the full burden of repaying deposits on the banks alone — a move that would inevitably destroy the Lebanese banking sector and wipe out ...

Lebanon’s Restaurants Boom: Growth or Mirage?
Figure of the weekLebanon’s Restaurants Boom: Growth or Mirage?

This is the striking number of new restaurant brands registered with the Lebanese Ministry of Economy since the start of 2025. It’s a spectacular surge, but one that is less reassuring than it appears in a country with a limited population and modest tourist inflow. Behind this explosion of concepts lies a clear reality: most of these projects ...

Depositors Slam Finance Minister’s IMF-Backed Reform Plan
Depositors Slam Finance Minister’s IMF-Backed Reform Plan

Lebanon’s Finance Minister Yassine Jaber sparked widespread controversy by backing International Monetary Fund conditions, saying “the biggest losers of the reform would be the state and the banks.” Depositors dispute his claim, saying ordinary citizens who lost access to their savings are the real victims. According to the ...

Paramount Counters Netflix with Hostile Bid for Warner Bros
Paramount Counters Netflix with Hostile Bid for Warner Bros

Paramount launched an all-cash tender offer Monday to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $30 per share, challenging a previously announced deal between WBD and Netflix. The hostile offer sets up a furious battle between Paramount, whose owner Larry Ellison is an ally of Donald Trump, and streaming behemoth Netflix to buy one of Hollywood's most ...

Financial Restructuring: Fadi Khalaf Cautions Against a “Partial” Approach
Financial Restructuring: Fadi Khalaf Cautions Against a “Partial” Approach

The Secretary-General of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), Dr. Fadi Khalaf, has cautioned that any financial restructuring confined to the banking sector is likely to fail unless accompanied by comprehensive state reform. In his editorial for the ABL’s November report, published Monday, Khalaf emphasized that Lebanon’s ...

Lebanon Goes Solar: Stable Internet for Millions
Figure of the weekLebanon Goes Solar: Stable Internet for Millions

Today, 335 telecom sites in Lebanon run on solar energy, offering a lifeline to a network long weakened by power cuts. Switching to clean energy reduces reliance on diesel generators, cuts costs, and most importantly, ensures a more stable Internet for everyone. This transformation was made possible thanks to a donation from China, according to ...

Kanaan Warns of “Constitutional Violation” in Unaudited State Accounts
Kanaan Warns of “Constitutional Violation” in Unaudited State Accounts

Following a Finance and Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday, its chairman, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, issued sharp warnings over the state’s continued failure to produce audited financial accounts, describing this as a “clear constitutional violation” of Article 87. Kanaan stressed that Lebanese citizens are required to submit their accounts for ...

The Crisis, the State, and the Banks
VideosThe Crisis, the State, and the Banks

The State must acknowledge its main share of responsibility in the crisis. Yet nothing suggests it is ready to do so. The political class opposes it, and the plan supported by the IMF also seeks to absolve those responsible at the expense of depositors.