Economy

A Home for $100,000: Housing Bank Boosts Loan Cap
A Home for $100,000: Housing Bank Boosts Loan Cap

The Housing Bank (Banque de l'Habitat, BDH) has raised the ceiling for subsidized housing loans to $100,000. No miracle here, just solid financing. “This increase from $50,000 to $100,000 was made possible by a funding package – currently under negotiation – granted by the Qatar Fund to the Housing Bank,” said BDH CEO Antoine Habib in a ...

CNSS: 45 Billion Lebanese Pounds Allocated to Hospitals
CNSS: 45 Billion Lebanese Pounds Allocated to Hospitals

The National Social Security Fund (CNSS) has approved a new financial advance of 45 billion Lebanese pounds for contracted hospitals. It aims to cover fixed-rate surgical procedures. The funds will be transferred to healthcare institutions and doctors in the coming days, as part of the CNSS’s policy of maintaining regular payments. CNSS ...

Unemployment: Lebanon Ranks 11th in MENA Region
Unemployment: Lebanon Ranks 11th in MENA Region

According to the latest World Bank data, Lebanon ranks 11th among MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries in terms of unemployment, with an estimated rate of 11.5% in 2024. This figure reflects the ongoing impact of Lebanon’s compounded economic, political, and social crises since 2019. Topping the regional chart is Palestine, with a ...

The Ministry of Finance Still Stuck in the Paper Age
The Ministry of Finance Still Stuck in the Paper Age

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber has announced a $6 million allocation from the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF) to modernize tax and land registry systems and support the ministry’s ongoing reform and digital transformation efforts. Established in December 2020 under the World Bank’s guidance following the Beirut port explosion, the LFF is a ...

BIA Sees Sharp Rebound in Passenger Traffic
BIA Sees Sharp Rebound in Passenger Traffic

Passenger traffic at Beirut International Airport (BIA) has surged again following a brief slowdown caused by heightened regional tensions. On Wednesday alone, the airport recorded 11,203 arrivals, marking a significant uptick in travel activity that may continue in the coming days. The rebound comes as several major Arab and international ...

Bitter Fruits, Pricey Greens: Lebanon’s Food Basket Feels the Heat
Bitter Fruits, Pricey Greens: Lebanon’s Food Basket Feels the Heat

Think your tomatoes are overpriced? It’s not a pricing trick. It's the harsh reality of Lebanon’s agricultural market in 2025. Amid unpredictable weather patterns, ongoing conflict, soaring fuel prices, and fertilizer costs reaching unprecedented heights, the prices of fruits and vegetables have climbed to new levels. Ibrahim Tarchichi, ...

World Bank Announces Lebanon, Syria Reconstruction Projects
World Bank Announces Lebanon, Syria Reconstruction Projects

The World Bank announced on Wednesday it had approved $250 million to support Lebanon's post-war reconstruction and a $146 million grant to rehabilitate neighbouring Syria's electricity sector. Lebanon is reeling from last year's devastating war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Syria faces massive needs after Islamist-led forces ...

As War Recedes, Oil Prices Plunge and Markets Rally
Numbers & FiguresAs War Recedes, Oil Prices Plunge and Markets Rally

From Cold Sweats to Cooling Oil: Why Crude Prices Are Plunging After the Iran-Israel De-Escalation A bomb can send oil prices soaring – unless it doesn’t hit as hard as expected. That’s exactly what played out in the markets following Iran’s limited strike on a United States base in Qatar, followed by a surprise ceasefire between Tehran ...

Parliamentary Committees Approve $200 Million WB Loan to Revitalize Agricultural Sector
Parliamentary Committees Approve $200 Million WB Loan to Revitalize Agricultural Sector

In a move described as a “decisive step toward economic recovery and food security,” joint parliamentary committees on Tuesday approved a bill allowing Lebanon to sign a $200 million loan agreement with the World Bank (WB) to fund the Green Agri-Food Transformation for Economic Recovery (GATE) program. Backed by the Ministry of ...

Minimum Wage: The Debate Heats Up Again
SpotlightMinimum Wage: The Debate Heats Up Again

As regional tensions momentarily subside, Lebanese households refocus on their most urgent issue: wages. The minimum wage debate has resurfaced under intense social pressure, yet concrete progress remains elusive. The sudden silence from the labor minister adds to the growing uncertainty. Notably, the latest minimum wage increase did not ...

Parliamentary Committee Debates LBP 2,000 Billion Credit Allocation
Parliamentary Committee Debates LBP 2,000 Billion Credit Allocation

The Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, convened on Tuesday to review a proposed supplementary credit of 2,000 billion Lebanese liras to the national budget. The session, held in the presence of Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Justice Minister Adel Nassar, numerous MPs and representatives from key public institutions, ...