This is Beirut - Economy

Jounieh Highway: When Public Land Becomes Private Property

Liliane Mokbel, 25/09 15:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon economy infrastructure Jounieh Highway expropriation

Widening Jounieh Highway will not happen overnight. The project is expected to take 36 to 40 months. As the saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Funding for the project is secured, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny told the press, though he provided no further details. Sources close to the ...

Parliament Committee Approves Waste Plan Empowering Municipalities

This is Beirut, 24/09 15:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Waste Municipalities Landfills Parliament Economy

The Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, held a session on Wednesday that focused on Lebanon’s deepening waste management crisis and financial concerns related to private sector end-of-service indemnities. The committee approved a measure that empowers municipalities to manage waste collection and treatment in exchange ...

Olive Oil 2025: A Harvest That Leaves a Bitter Aftertaste

Christiane Tager, 24/09 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon economy olives olive oil

In Lebanon, it’s hard to imagine a meal without a drizzle of olive oil. It flavors the morning man’oushe, enlivens salads, and graces every mezze platter. But this year, this staple of the Lebanese table risks becoming a luxury. The 2025 olive season is exceptionally poor, with serious consequences for both producers and consumers. A ...

Consumer Prices Rise by 0.56% in August

This is Beirut, 22/09 20:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Economy Lebanon’s Central Administration of Statistics Consumer Price Index

Lebanon’s Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.56% in August 2025. On a year-on-year basis, the index increased by 14.17%, the agency said in a statement. The highest monthly increases were recorded in the North Lebanon governorate (+0.96%), followed by South Lebanon (+0.80%), Beirut ...

Aradina: A Green Boost for Lebanese Agriculture

This is Beirut, 22/09 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Nizar Hani Aradina Fair Trade Lebanon the French Development Agency

Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani on Monday launched the Aradina project, a four-year program to be implemented in partnership with CIHEAM Montpellier, Action Against Hunger and Fair Trade Lebanon. Aradina is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and aims to support 2,500 farmers and 145 cooperatives across Lebanon in adopting sustainable ...

Iraq–Lebanon: A Vital but Uneven Partnership

Christiane Tager, 20/09 12:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Iraq economy fuel trade

For the first time in a decade, the Lebanese–Iraqi Joint Commission reconvened in Baghdad in September 2025, concluding its second session with the signing of seven accords. These span the economy, industry, transport and justice, including a treaty on prisoner transfers. The move sends a strong political signal and builds on an already pivotal ...

Two-Wheelers: The New Hazard on Lebanon’s Roads

Christiane Tager, 19/09 14:39 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon economy roads motorcycles traffic

Lebanon’s economic collapse has pushed many to seek cheaper modes of transport than cars. Motorcycles and mopeds, consuming less fuel and offering greater flexibility, quickly became the go-to solution, spreading chaotically across the country’s roads. Numbers speak for themselves: according to the Vehicle Registration Authority (known ...

End-of-Service Benefits: The Only Social Safety Net at Risk Since the Crisis

Liliane Mokbel, 18/09 16:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

economy Lebanon Indemnities National Social Security Fund retirement

There is no doubt that employees remain the most vulnerable group in the struggle to ensure a dignified retirement. Their end-of-service benefits, intended to preserve part of their purchasing power, have been almost completely eroded by the multidimensional crisis that hit the country at the end of 2019. Employers Plead Powerlessness Employers ...

AI May Boost Global Trade Value by Nearly 40%: WTO

This is Beirut, 17/09 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

AI WTO Technology Economy

Artificial intelligence could boost the value of global trade by almost 40 percent by 2040 thanks to cost reductions and productivity gains, the World Trade Organization said Wednesday. In its latest annual World Trade Report, the WTO identified AI as one of the few bright spots as the global trading system has been upended by the United States ...

Trump's UK Visit Lands AI, Pharma and Nuclear Pledges

This is Beirut, 17/09 12:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United Kingdom United States Economy AI Nuclear

President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK has delivered pledges from US tech giants to invest a combined $42 billion to help drive Britain's AI sector. The UK and US governments, meanwhile, agreed on cooperation over nuclear and space technology as part of a "Tech Prosperity Deal", and British pharmaceutical group GSK pledged investment in ...

New Banknotes to Boost the Lebanese Pound

Liliane Mokbel, 17/09 10:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Banknotes BDL

Issuing higher-denomination banknotes for the Lebanese pound is simply common sense, given that the largest note currently in circulation is LBP 100,000—worth about USD 1. The others are worth even less: LBP 50,000 (roughly USD 0.50), LBP 20,000, LBP 10,000, and LBP 5,000. Lebanon has been in the grip of a currency collapse for six years, with ...

Ministry of Finance Announces Fiscal Stamps Available at Accredited Centers

This is Beirut, 16/09 19:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon economy finance stamps

After months of chronic shortage that fueled frustration and a black market, the Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday that fiscal stamps of all categories are now available, but only at accredited centers. In a statement, the Ministry of Finance specified that their distribution will be expanded to a larger number of accredited centers as ...

Economy