This is Beirut - Central Bank of Lebanon

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 ...

No Electoral Reform in Sight as Parliament Faces Quorum Doubts

Élie-Joe Kamel, 27/10 18:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Amal Banks Central Bank of Lebanon

Uncertainty continues to surround the plenary session scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday. The session is set to resume the review of bills and draft laws that were on the agenda for the September 29 meeting. That session was postponed after MPs from several parliamentary blocs, including the Lebanese Forces (LF), Kataeb, the Progressive Socialist ...

Cabinet Approves Key Appointments and Oil Exploration Deal

This is Beirut, 23/10 19:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Joseph Aoun Nawaf Salam lebanon Cabinet

The Council of Ministers convened on Thursday at Baabda presidential palace, approving a series of administrative, economic and financial decisions. The cabinet, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, reviewed 44 items on its agenda, focused on appointments, energy agreements and the banking and education sectors. Among the key decisions, the Cabinet ...

Lebanon 2019: Behind a Programmed Revolution (2/2)

Natasha Metni Torbey, 22/10 12:30 - Reading : 11 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Free Patriotic Movement Amal Banks

Lebanon has an exceptionally dense civil society sector. Hundreds of local NGOs receive funding from international organizations such as the European Union, various United Nations agencies, private foundations like Ford, Rockefeller and Open Society, as well as contributions from the diaspora. Most of this funding is fully declared, independently ...

BDL Governor Holds Key Talks with IMF Officials in Washington

This is Beirut, 16/10 18:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

International Monetary Fund Central Bank of Lebanon Washington Middle East lebanon Karim Souhaid

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Parliamentary Committee Approves New Banknote Amid Currency Collapse

This is Beirut, 10/09 16:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Internal Security Forces Ibrahim Kanaan lebanon

The Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, approved on Wednesday a legislative amendment authorizing the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) to issue new banknotes, including a denomination of LBP 5 million. The move, seen as emblematic of the national currency’s collapse, was justified as a technical step to facilitate daily ...

Budget 2026: 1,051 Pages, Zero Tax Reform, Spending on the Rise

Liliane Mokbel, 06/09 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon

The 2026 draft budget spans 1,051 pages and 50 articles, yet still avoids any real tax reform. Distributed to ministers within the constitutional deadline, it relies almost entirely on indirect taxation, the most unfair burden for low- and middle-income households. In essence, it offers nothing new, repeating the same approach as the 2025 budget ...

EDL vs. Private Generators: Lebanon’s Daily Electricity Battle

Liliane Mokbel, 03/09 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

EDL Central Bank of Lebanon Banks Lebanon economy

Electricité du Liban (EDL) collection agents occasionally remember to bill subscribers. Neighborhood generator operators, on the other hand, never forget the last day of the month. They collect payments even before reading meters, already knowing exactly how much they will extract. The idea of EDL self-financing its fuel purchases remains ...

Beirut Traders Index Points to Fragile Economic Rebound

This is Beirut, 19/08 16:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Gulf lebanon economy

The latest index of the Beirut Traders Association-Fransabank (Q2 2025) shows the first signs of a recovery in local markets, a welcome development as the World Bank forecasts 4.7% GDP growth for Lebanon in 2025 and a sharp drop in inflation. The retail trade index rose to 33.13 points in Q2 2025, up from 30.01 the previous quarter (base 100 = Q4 ...