Banks

BDL Takes Action: Ban on Transactions with Al-Qard Al-Hassan & co.

The circular (No. 170) published by the Banque du Liban, accompanied by Basic Decision No. 13335, marks a decisive turning point in regulating the Lebanese financial sector. By formally banning banks and financial institutions from any relationship with unauthorized entities, particularly the association Al-Qard Al-Hassan, the Banque du Liban is ...

Parliamentary Subcommittee Advances Banking Reform Bill

The parliamentary subcommittee tasked with drafting the long-awaited banking reform bill made significant headway on Monday, as lawmakers inched closer to adopting several key provisions aimed at revamping the financial sector. Chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, the session was attended by Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber, a number of MPs and Central ...

President Aoun: Lebanon’s Territorial Unity and Sovereignty Are Sacred and Irrevocable

President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Monday that the unity and sovereignty of Lebanese territory are constitutional and non-negotiable principles, protected by the Lebanese Army and the will of the people. His remarks, made during economic and diplomatic meetings at Baabda Palace, came in direct response to recent statements by US envoy Tom ...

Israeli, Palestinian Foreign Ministers to Attend EU Meeting

Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers were due at a meeting in Brussels between the EU and its southern neighbors on Monday, but the Palestinian Authority denied the two would meet. It would be the first time since the Gaza war began in October 2023 that Israeli and Palestinian ministers attended a high-level meeting in the same room. The ...

Bitcoin Rallies Past Record $120,000 as Asian Markets Rise

Bitcoin surged past the $120,000 mark for the first time on Monday, setting a new record as optimism grows around potential regulatory breakthroughs for the cryptocurrency industry this week. The digital asset peaked at $122,571.19 before easing slightly, trading 2.4% higher at $121,952.61. Most Asian markets rose Monday as investors digested ...

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

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 ...

Numbeo: Lebanon Among Arab Countries Most Affected by Food Prices

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 ...

World Bank Appoints New Country Manager for Lebanon

The World Bank has named Enrique Blanco Armas as its new Country Manager for Lebanon, the institution announced on Wednesday. Based in Beirut, Blanco Armas will lead and unify the World Bank Group’s efforts across its various arms, IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA, aimed at supporting Lebanon’s recovery and development. Previously a manager at the ...

BDL Issues Circular to Regulate Foreign Transfers

Banque du Liban (BDL) issued Circular No. 169 on Tuesday, introducing new restrictions on the transfer of deposits abroad in a bid to promote fairness among depositors amid Lebanon’s ongoing financial crisis. Under the new directive, banks are prohibited from transferring deposits outside Lebanon without prior approval from BDL. The measure is ...

Souhaid Concludes Reform-Focused Consultations in Paris and Washington

Central Bank Governor Karim Souhaid wrapped up a round of high-level technical consultations in Paris and Washington focused on advancing structural reforms in the banking sector, according to a statement issued by Banque du Liban (BDL). The meetings aimed to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive reform plan supported by legislative and ...

Tensions over Expat Vote Spark Heated Parliamentary Session

Parliament’s legislative session on Monday morning opened under palpable tension, against the backdrop of deep divisions over proposed amendments to the electoral law, particularly concerning the voting rights of Lebanese expatriates. Shortly after the session began, MPs from the Lebanese Forces (LF), the Kataeb party and several members of ...

Central Bank of Lebanon’s Governor Proposes a Specialized Body for Bank Restructuring

The subcommittee of the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, continues its review of the draft Banking Sector Restructuring Law. The discussions are centered on resolving divergences between the government's proposal, the IMF’s recommendations, and the proposals presented by Central Bank of ...