Liliane Mokbel is an experienced journalist and editor specializing in economics, with many years of work in print media and radio. A graduate of ESCP Business School, she is also skilled in web writing and proficient in AI-assisted content creation tools, offering insightful and accessible analysis of curret economic issues.
Liliane Mokbel 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Central Bank of Lebanon Public Administration Positions
113 senior positions within Lebanon's central administration are currently vacant and filled on an interim basis, according to sources close to the Grand Serail. This number is expected to increase by the end of 2025. Among the key positions to be filled are the Governor of the Central Bank (BDL), the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and the ...
Liliane Mokbel 20/02 21:18 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The illegal trafficking of goods between Lebanon and Syria has been a longstanding issue. Despite the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, little progress has been made, even with the United Kingdom’s assistance to Lebanon in securing its borders, notably through the construction of surveillance towers along the northern and eastern ...
Liliane Mokbel 18/02 20:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Kleiate Airport
From the moment he was appointed, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny has shown a firm determination to revive the rehabilitation project of Qlayaat Airport, also known as René Mouawad Airport. According to him, this initiative will be part of a comprehensive vision for air transport, which will be implemented once the government ...
Liliane Mokbel 15/02 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
In 2024, the total value of fresh dollar checks cleared amounted to $302 million, according to data from the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) and the research department at Bank Audi. On average, $25.2 million in fresh dollar checks were cleared each month throughout the year. The value of these checks experienced a monthly increase of 17%, ...
Liliane Mokbel 13/02 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
In an interview with This is Beirut, Ahmad el-Khatib, managing partner of Century 21 Lebanon, an international real estate brokerage agency, shares his vision of the Lebanese real estate market. “As real estate brokers, we are at the heart of the market and directly feel its fluctuations, whether positive or negative. Our daily interactions ...
Liliane Mokbel 11/02 16:32 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Banks Lebanon Real Estate Market
Lebanon’s real estate market is currently defined by a mismatch between sellers’ and buyers’ expectations. While sellers are banking on a price increase, driven by hopes of an economic recovery following the election of a president after more than two and a half years of political deadlock, buyers continue to perceive a stagnant market. A ...
Liliane Mokbel 08/02 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
lebanon Banque du Liban electricity
Electricity production increased by 36.7% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to data from the Banque du Liban. It reached 2.239 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), up from 1.638 million kWh during the same period last year. This growth continues the 41.7% increase seen between 2022 and 2023, when total production ...
Liliane Mokbel 04/02 17:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
To encourage young graduates to stay in Lebanon, it is imperative to first offer them job opportunities and then viable solutions for homeownership. However, today, the landscape of real estate credit remains unclear, with no serious plan for the recovery of public and private institutions yet in place. In principle, three entities are capable of ...
Liliane Mokbel 01/02 12:43 - Reading : less than a minute
Car imports through the port of Beirut have seen a significant -20% drop in the first eleven months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. From January to November 2024, a total of 41,135 cars were imported, down from 51,423 during the same period last year, reflecting a slowdown in the automotive import sector.
Liliane Mokbel 31/01 17:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
European Union Syria Sanctions US
The 27-member European Union agreed on Monday on a "roadmap" to gradually ease sanctions on key sectors of the Syrian economy that were imposed under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad. However, the EU has ruled out any unconditional lifting of these measures. The process will be gradual and subject to strict conditions. In other words, the bloc ...
Liliane Mokbel 26/01 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The scandal of “electoral hiring” in the public sector is not a new phenomenon. What drives these “hunters of ghost jobs” is less the salary than the associated perks: generous bonuses, discretionary spending, allowances for occasional assignments, representation expenses, and even travel indemnities for overseas trips, often handed out ...
Liliane Mokbel 25/01 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
In 2024, out of the 2,000,000 vehicles in Lebanon's automotive fleet, 800,000 are not registered with the Vehicle Registration Department and, as a result, lack mandatory auto liability insurance. This means there is roughly one car for every two residents, in a country where public transportation is virtually non-existent. The mandatory ...
Liliane Mokbel 23/01 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Abdallah Bou Habib Kuwait Washington
While this request appears valid and justified at first glance, it seems these organizations have forgotten what transpired just six years ago. Back then, the government responded to a similar request by appointing commercial attachés in about 20 countries deemed "strategic" for Lebanese exports. This initiative, however, was short-lived, likely ...
Liliane Mokbel 21/01 19:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Depositors Syrians
During a visit to Syria in early January, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati was met with a striking demand from the country’s new ruler, Ahmad al-Sharaa: the restitution of Syrian deposits held in Lebanese banks. While the request might appear justified on the surface, it lacks clarity and a solid legal foundation, according to a legal ...
Liliane Mokbel 04/01 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
62 stores are currently open and welcoming customers at the Beirut Souks Shopping Center. Seven of these opened in December 2024, and six more are expected to open in January. However, the total number of open stores is still just under half of the 140 originally planned for the end of 2024 – a target set before the two months of conflict.
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-28 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Banks prices inflation crisis world bank
In Lebanon, prices in dollars rose by 4.9% between September 2019 and September 2024, according to the World Bank. Meanwhile, the Central Directorate of Statistics reports a staggering 5970% increase in prices in Lebanese pounds over the same period.
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-21 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
The Lebanese population is estimated at 5.77 million in 2023, up from 5.74 million in 2022 and 5.72 million in 2021, according to ESCWA. Lebanon's demographic trends reveal a steady growth rate since 1950, when the population stood at 1.35 million. By 2000, the population had reached 4.33 million, and by 2020, it had grown to 5.70 million. The ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-18 20:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The issue of counterfeit $50 bills appears to be nearing a resolution. Over 80% of shops, supermarkets and gas stations now accept these bills for cash payments. The remaining 15% mainly consists of small neighborhood businesses, which have been particularly affected by the economic crisis and the fragility of a cash-reliant economy. “Most ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-14 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Hezbollah Israel damage reconstruction
The price of a meter of glass has surged to $80, up from $30 before the start of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This price does not include the cost of labor for installation. Glaziers attribute the increase to a surge in demand, primarily driven by the reconstruction and repair of buildings and structures damaged by Israeli ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-13 20:07 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanese farmers continue to endure substantial losses. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, the movement of refrigerated and covered trucks between Lebanon and the Arab hinterland has become increasingly irregular. All Lebanese exports and imports sent overland to and from the Arab world are reliant on transit through ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-10 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria Reconstruction Caesar Act
According to estimates from various UN and international sources, Syria's reconstruction could yield benefits for all. However, these prospects remain uncertain and far from guaranteed. With the country still reeling from the war that followed the 2011 uprising, Syria's reconstruction is shaping up to be a lengthy and costly process, but it ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-08 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Syria is left with a crumbling economy, shaped by decades of state control and average wages barely surpassing $40 per month. The country’s economic prospects now depend largely on the removal of American and Western sanctions, as well as financial assistance from the international community. ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-07 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
The hotel occupancy rate in Beirut has fallen below 10%, while in other regions, it is approaching 0%, according to Pierre Achkar, president of the Union of Syndicates of Tourist Establishments in Lebanon. "Arab countries continue to boycott Lebanon, and European nations do not anticipate a swift return of their citizens. A mandatory waiting ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-06 18:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Central Bank of Lebanon Dollar Bills Counterfeit
Are counterfeit dollar bills circulating in the market? If so, it's clear that this issue is not limited to Lebanon but also affects other global markets. However, the Lebanese are particularly sensitive to it due to the country's economic crisis, which has left the cash economy in a fragile state, all amid a "neither peace nor war" situation ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-05 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The sector shows significant growth potential, however, realizing this requires enhancements to logistical infrastructure and improvements to the regulatory framework. According to Statista Market Insight, Lebanon’s e-commerce market is expected to reach $1.311 billion in revenue in 2024, with an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.88% ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-12-02 19:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Economy Industry Commerce Parliament Lebanon
Industrial and commercial business owners are celebrating a major victory. Last Thursday, Parliament passed in a plenary session the bill amending Article 45 of Decree-Law No. 144 of June 12, 1959 (the Income Tax Law). This amendment grants "exceptional authorization" to income taxpayers, allowing them to revalue their inventories and real estate ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-11-30 15:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL) is easing the pressure to appease the foreign exchange market, amid a “neither war nor peace” climate that only heightens its volatility. The decision by the BDL’s Central Council, dated November 26, 2024, reflects clear intent to implement a “flexible monetary policy” even though this approach might ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-11-30 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
According to Elie Kazzi, the President of the Syndicate of Used Car Importers, losses due to damage to imported vehicles during the war between Israel and Hezbollah are estimated at around $60 million. The sector remains particularly vulnerable, as many Lebanese are reluctant to buy used cars during periods of instability, especially since they ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-11-27 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Central Bank of Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Insurances Reinsurers
Reinsurers are hesitant to renew reinsurance contracts with Lebanese insurance companies — an expected approach in view of the conflict sparked by Hezbollah’s front against Israel. As the year-end approaches, most annual reinsurance agreements for the 40 insurance companies operating in Lebanon are set to expire. Negotiations have been ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-11-23 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that 70% of the Lebanese agricultural sector has been affected, both directly and indirectly. Thousands of hectares have been completely or nearly destroyed, and 65,000 olive trees have been fully burned due to white phosphorus bombings, which are prohibited under ...