This is Beirut

Disarmament in Lebanon’s Interest Amid Mounting International Pressure

Bassam Abou Zeid, 08/11 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Banks Hezbollah United States Washington

According to an official Lebanese source, the process of placing all weapons exclusively under state authority is first and foremost a Lebanese initiative — not an Israeli, American, or broader international demand. Any delay or suspension of this process, the source warned, would have negative repercussions solely for Lebanon and its ...

Raed Khoury: Eliminating Banks and Deposits Would Be a “Catastrophe”

Nadia Hallak, 08/11 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy IMF Banks Central Bank

As the financial collapse continues and losses keep mounting with no clear plan yet for their distribution, attention is once again turning to the stalled negotiations between the Lebanese government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), amid conflicting official approaches on how to address the crisis and restructure the banking sector. The ...

Bsat: IMF Seeks to Impose Losses on Banks... Say Goodbye to Deposits!

This is Beirut, 07/11 15:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon IMF Banks Economy

Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Amer Bsat made several key statements during his appearance on the television program “Sar El Waet.” He addressed multiple sensitive issues, including the financial-gap law, bank restructuring, and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Bsat emphasized that it is not possible to commit to ...

When Samir Hammoud Sacrifices Depositors to Please the IMF

This is Beirut, 07/11 15:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Banks BDL IMF

Negotiation skills refer to the capacities and methods used by an individual when engaging in discussions with another party in order to reach an agreement that satisfies both sides, without sacrificing the rights or interests of either. Key negotiation skills include planning, managing expectations, persuasion, problem-solving, decision-making, ...

Writing Off Banks’ Capital Wipes Out Deposits

This is Beirut, 06/11 18:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Central Bank Karim Souhaid Yassine Jaber Economy Banks

The Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Karim Souhaid, clarified the situation by declaring that Lebanon’s crisis is not purely a financial one but rather a systemic crisis in which the banking sector has become a victim. This is what Souhaid stated clearly during the parliamentary session dedicated to discussing the 2025 budget draft, ...

Gold: Sell or Buy More?

Liliane Mokbel, 06/11 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks USA China Gold

For years, gold was seen as a safe haven, more a way to store wealth than a true investment. Holding physical gold has traditionally been considered a long-term hedge against inflation. But the surge in the price of the yellow metal in 2025 has shaken that belief. With a rise of more than sixty percent since the start of the year, gold can no ...

The IMF and Lebanon: Debts? Which Debts?

Marc Saikali, 06/11 08:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon International Monetary Fund Banks

When it comes to the IMF, one thing stands out above all: a consistent pattern of bad advice. Governments change, wars erupt, and yet this venerable institution remains glued to its Excel spreadsheets, always heeded by Lebanese ministers, especially the finance minister. The International Monetary Fund, the self-proclaimed savior of struggling ...

Where Were You, Samir Hammoud?

This is Beirut, 05/11 16:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Banks Economy

High-level banking sources were surprised by comments made by the senior adviser to the Minister of Finance, Yassine Jaber, to the “Al-Markaziya” outlet regarding depositors’ accounts. According to Samir Hammoud’s statement, “If there are irregularities in depositors’ accounts, there are also irregularities in banks’ ...

Yitzhak Rabin: Oslo Accords Architect Assassinated 30 Years Ago

Élie-Joe Kamel, 04/11 21:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Banks Hamas Middle East

On November 4, 1995, in Tel Aviv, three gunshots ended the life of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, plunging the nation into shock. On what was then Kings of Israel Square, now Rabin Square, the architect of the Oslo peace process fell, struck by the bullets of an ultranationalist Israeli Jew. The assassin, Yigal Amir, a far-right ...

BDL Launches Judicial Audit of Payments Since 2019

This is Beirut, 04/11 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

Karim Souhaid, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL), announced Tuesday that the BDL, in coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Justice, will draw up terms of reference for an external financial and judicial audit of all beneficiaries of the basic goods support program since October 17, 2019. The initiative will be launched through ...

Financial Times Revives Debate Over Hezbollah’s Funding in Lebanon

Liliane Mokbel, 03/11 20:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Sanctions Financial Times

On Sunday, the Lebanese market reacted strongly to a Financial Times (FT) investigation suggesting that Hezbollah has been using digital wallets and money transfer companies to raise funds and support its purported “charitable” networks. The companies under scrutiny — providers of digital wallets and money transfer services — quickly ...

Lebanon's Industry: Resilient Yet Transforming

Christiane Tager, 31/10 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks European Union

In Lebanon, industry remains both a social buffer and a key provider of foreign currency. Yet its macroeconomic footprint has shrunk, reflecting an economy battered by currency collapse, weak domestic demand, and high energy costs. Caught between export momentum and fragile profit margins, the “made-in-Lebanon machine” moves forward ...

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