Economy

Consumer Price Index Up 0.6% in September
Numbers & FiguresConsumer Price Index Up 0.6% in September

Lebanon’s Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in September 2025, compared with August 2025, according to official data. Year-on-year inflation reached 15.06%. At the governorate level, monthly increases varied significantly: Mount Lebanon, +0.90%; Beqaa, +0.69%; Nabatieh, +0.64%; Beirut, +0.27%; South Lebanon, +0.22%; and North Lebanon, ...

Pope Leo XIV’s Visit: Bookings Soar, Hotels Remain on Standby
Pope Leo XIV’s Visit: Bookings Soar, Hotels Remain on Standby

With the historic visit of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled from November 30 to December 2, 2025, drawing near, Lebanon is experiencing a surge in travel bookings. Airlines report a strong rise in demand, while the hotel sector is still waiting to see tangible gains. The announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to the region has generated widespread ...

OpenAI Commits to Over $100 Billion in AI Chip Orders Amid Uncertain Financing Plans
FocusOpenAI Commits to Over $100 Billion in AI Chip Orders Amid Uncertain Financing Plans

OpenAI is ordering hundreds of billions of dollars worth of chips in the artificial intelligence race, raising questions among investors about how the startup will finance these purchases. In less than a month, the San Francisco startup behind ChatGPT has committed to acquiring a staggering 26 gigawatts of sophisticated data processors from ...

Cocoa: Has the Sweet Boom Come to an End?
Cocoa: Has the Sweet Boom Come to an End?

The frenzy that gripped the cocoa market seems to be fading. In December 2024, the price per ton hit nearly $12,000, a historic high driven by fears of a worldwide shortage. However, since the summer of 2025, prices have dropped below $6,000, reaching their lowest point since February 2024, according to Bloomberg. This shift signals the end of a ...

3,500 Gas Stations for 10,452 km²
Figure of the week3,500 Gas Stations for 10,452 km²

Lebanon is overwhelmed with gas stations. The country has 3,500 gas stations spread over 10,452 km². This amounts to one station for every 1,428 people, a ratio unique in the region and in Europe. For comparison: In France, one station serves 6,235 people. In Germany, one station serves 5,975 people. When considering land area, ...

Global Markets 2025: From Soaring Peaks to Sudden Crashes
Global Markets 2025: From Soaring Peaks to Sudden Crashes

Since January, major stock indices such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Euro Stoxx have shattered records. Fueled by surging optimism around artificial intelligence, global finance seems to be reliving its golden era. Yet beneath this spectacular rise, the ground is quaking. Every peak is followed by a dark day. In just hours, billions of dollars could ...

BDL Governor Holds Key Talks with IMF Officials in Washington
BDL Governor Holds Key Talks with IMF Officials in Washington

The Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), Karim Souhaid, held a series of high-level meetings in Washington with officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to a statement issued by his press office on Thursday. Souhaid was accompanied by Deputy Governors Salim Shahine and Gaby Shnouzian, along with the Chairman of the ...

Lebanon: Signs of Recovery Amid Economic and Humanitarian Challenges
Lebanon: Signs of Recovery Amid Economic and Humanitarian Challenges

As Lebanon gradually emerges from a period marked by deep political, economic, and humanitarian turmoil, the World Bank’s latest MENAAP (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) Economic Report, published in October 2025, gives encouraging prospects for the country. Despite ongoing fragility, particularly in public finances and ...

Lebanon’s Bananas Withstand TR4
Lebanon’s Bananas Withstand TR4

Under the southern Lebanese sun, banana trees proudly stretch their lush green leaves, standing tall against climate challenges, crises and conflict. In this fertile, humid region, bananas have become more than a crop; they are a national specialty. “We produce between 80,000 and 100,000 tons a year, and demand keeps rising,” says a grower ...

Beirut Port Transactions Delayed: Management Clarifies Situation
Beirut Port Transactions Delayed: Management Clarifies Situation

Port of Beirut management issued a statement on Wednesday to clarify the reasons behind delays in the electronic processing of port transactions, emphasizing that these were not due to a work stoppage but to a temporary malfunction in the “Najm” system, which is used to transmit data to the Customs Directorate. According to the statement, ...

Gold Rush in Lebanon: Between Speculation and Shortages
Gold Rush in Lebanon: Between Speculation and Shortages

Lebanese buyers are increasingly turning to precious metals, especially gold and silver, whose international prices have been climbing steadily to record highs. These days, it can take up to a week to obtain a gold bar and nearly two weeks for a kilogram of silver. A few weeks ago, people had to spend over an hour in line to make a purchase. The ...