This is Beirut

BIA: 10% Rise in Passenger Traffic

This is Beirut, 08/10 14:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut International Airport Middle East Banks Middle East Airlines MEA lebanon

Beirut International Airport (BIA) is showing clear signs of recovery, with passenger numbers climbing steadily in 2025. According to data published in Byblos Bank’s Lebanon This Week bulletin, 5.41 million passengers passed through the airport between January and September 2025, a 10.2% increase compared to 4.88 million during the same period ...

Who Is Michel Issa, the Businessman Turned Diplomat?

This is Beirut, 08/10 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump Banks United States Michel Issa Ambassador Lebanon

Michel Issa is set to take up his post in Beirut as the new US Ambassador to Lebanon, following the departure of Lisa A. Johnson, whose term ended on September 28, 2025. Appointed by President Donald Trump, Issa represents a notable departure from the traditional career diplomat, a businessman and former banker stepping into a sensitive ...

Constitutional Council Upholds Banking Authority and Ties Bank Reform Law to Gap Law

Maurice Matta, 04/10 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks

Lebanon’s Constitutional Council issued a ruling partially annulling Law No. 23/2025 on banking reform and restructuring, following an appeal filed by ten MPs. In form, the Council accepted the appeal, as it was filed within the legal timeframe and met all procedural requirements. In substance, it decided to annul parts of the contested ...

Public Education in Lebanon: Where Do We Stand?

Sana Richa Choucair, 04/10 13:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks European Union

On September 30, 2025, Rima Karami, Minister of Education, launched the National Campaign for Public School Support, presenting it as “a collective space for dreams, hope, and reform.” The initiative aims to restore public schools’ central role in shaping citizens and driving Lebanon’s development. In parallel, the ministry introduced a ...

The IMF’s Lebanon Framework: Balancing State Debt with Depositor Rights

This is Beirut, 02/10 11:50 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Lebanon IMF Central Bank Banks Depositors

As Lebanon faces multiple challenges with economic and financial recovery from the country’s 2019 economic collapse, two interconnected issues remain particularly controversial: recovering the money of Lebanese who lost access to their bank deposits and holding those responsible for squandering their money ...

BDL Leads Financial Recovery and Reassures Depositors

Liliane Mokbel, 29/09 19:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Banks International Monetary Fund Lebanon economy deposits BDL

At a luncheon debate hosted by the École supérieure des affaires (ESA), Karim Souhaid, the Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), presented his assessment of the country’s economic situation – “slowly but surely moving in the right direction” – to around 40 members of the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF), currently on ...

Beirut Port Climbs to 54th in Global Ranking

This is Beirut, 26/09 10:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Banks Beirut Port lebanon World Bank

The Port of Beirut has registered a major leap in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2024, published on Friday. It ranked 54th worldwide, consolidating its role as a key regional hub for logistics and trade. The rise marks a sharp improvement from 81st place in 2023 and 323rd in 2022, reflecting the port’s modernization ...

Saudi Arabia launches international fund for the Palestinian Authority

This is Beirut, 25/09 23:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Saudi Arabia Banks Donald Trump Palestine United States

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan announced Thursday the launch of an international coalition to finance the Palestinian Authority, stressing that Saudi Arabia will contribute $90 million. At a press conference, he noted that the Kingdom is actively engaged with the United States to end the war in Gaza. The minister also said that Arab and ...

Between the State and the Rock…

Johnny Kortbawi, 23/09 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hassan Nasrallah Baalbeck Banks Free Patriotic Movement Hezbollah

In Lebanon, even rocks can spark existential crises. The Raoucheh Rock has become the focus of a growing political and public controversy after plans emerged to project an image of Hezbollah’s former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, alongside Hashem Safieddine, onto the rock to mark the anniversary of their death last year. What began as a ...

Rubio Visits Israel in Aftermath of Qatar Strike

This is Beirut, 14/09 15:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump United Nations Banks Hamas

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio prayed at Jerusalem's Western Wall Sunday as he opened his visit to Israel, reaffirming the Trump administration's steadfast support in its war with Hamas despite backlash over a strike in Qatar. The trip is taking place after President Donald Trump rebuked Israel over the unprecedented attack against Hamas ...

Lebanon: Real Estate Market Tied to Political and Economic Outlook

Liliane Mokbel, 13/09 21:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Banks real estate

A study by the Research and Studies Department of Bank Audi, published in September 2025, lays out three scenarios for the next twelve months: a positive scenario with a 55 percent probability, a moderate scenario at 30 percent, and a negative scenario at 15 percent. In a positive scenario, such as the state gaining full control over weapons, ...

BDL, Lebanon’s Anchor of Trust on the Path to Recovery

Liliane Mokbel, 12/09 15:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Banks Banque du Liban Lebanon economy BDL

In a country where figures are often subject to interpretation and fiscal data remains scarce or unreliable, Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL) seeks to reaffirm its role as a reference point for institutional investors and international markets. It also aims to provide citizens with clear benchmarks to better understand the rationale and direction ...