This is Beirut, 28/10 19:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The southern suburbs of Beirut are reportedly seeing an unprecedented wave of real estate sales amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. A political and military stronghold of the pro-Iranian militia, this densely populated area was heavily targeted during the fall 2024 war and continued to face strikes even after the ceasefire reached ...
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 ...
Michel Touma, 27/10 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Middle East Donald Trump Amal Banks Hamas
When irrationality and reckless behavior come to define the actions of a powerful political faction, it doesn’t take long before red lines are dangerously breached. As a result, serious threats hang over the lives of populations directly exposed to the faction’s erratic excesses. This is exactly what we are witnessing today among several of ...
Johnny Kortbawi, 24/10 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Banks Banque du Liban Hezbollah Israel Naim Qassem Cash
One of Hezbollah’s most pressing challenges, beyond its ongoing military decline and Israel’s persistent targeting of its depots and stockpiles, is its financial crisis. The depletion of resources has left the group unable to engage with its population as it once did to sustain its alternative economy. A clear example is Sheikh Naim ...
Liliane Mokbel, 23/10 17:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Banks Damascus Syria Lebanon economy
The Central Bank of Syria has given domestic banks a six-month deadline to fully provision their claims on the Lebanese banking sector, estimated at $1.6 billion, according to a circular cited by Reuters. The directive does not specify the exact nature of these claims – whether deposits, placements or financial investments – making their ...
Liliane Mokbel, 23/10 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Banks Europe Saudi Arabia Tehran Turkey
De-dollarization — whether an enduring trend or a fleeting declaration — reflects a growing determination among emerging powers to reduce global dependence on the US dollar, long the cornerstone of international trade and finance. The initiative seeks to rebalance a monetary system historically dominated by the greenback and move toward a more ...
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 ...
Liliane Mokbel, 16/10 13:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
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 ...
Liliane Mokbel, 11/10 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Every year, an estimated 50 million cubic meters of domestic wastewater are discharged into Lake Qaraoun. Added to this are 2 million cubic meters of industrial wastewater, as well as waste from Syrian migrant camps established by the state along the riverbanks. This toxic mix is putting one of Lebanon’s largest freshwater reservoirs at serious ...
Katia Kahil, 11/10 11:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
One year after the September 2024 war, southern Lebanon bears deep scars. Ravaged by strikes and displacement, the region faces a dual crisis: a collapsing economy and the quiet unraveling of its social fabric. Behind shattered facades and shuttered markets, an entire way of life teeters on the brink of a merciless winter. Agonizing Markets In ...
Mario Chartouni, 10/10 16:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanese Army Banks Damascus Hezbollah Saudi Arabia
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani is visiting Beirut this Friday for his first official trip since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Long postponed, the visit marks a symbolic step toward restoring ties between Lebanon and Syria after a decade of mistrust. It follows a series of technical missions by Syrian officials exploring ...
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 ...