The Guardian Stanford Political Review
  • Close
  • Subscribe
burgermenu
Close
Close

The Beiruter

Politics
Economy
Technology
Opinion
Specials
The B
Plus

The paycheck is the tip of the iceberg

Lebanon’s gender pay gap reflects deeper inequalities in how women’s work, care responsibilities, qualifications and career advancement are valued across the labour market.

Lebanon’s electorate: Who is Lebanon counting?

Christians make up roughly one-third of Lebanon’s 2026 electorate, but 53 per cent of Lebanese on the preliminary overseas voting lists. In 1932, the contrast was even greater: Christians represented about half of the resident population counted by the census but 84.7 per cent of the emigrants it recorded. Almost a century later, Lebanon can still measure the sectarian balance of its voters more easily than that of the millions of Lebanese and Lebanese descendants living outside the country.

25 years after 9/11: Enduring legacies for America and the Middle East

Twenty-five years after 9/11, its legacy continues to reshape U.S. foreign policy, counterterrorism, civil liberties and Middle Eastern geopolitics amid emerging technologies and renewed global power competition.

How books are teaching students what history class won't

Lebanese authors and educators are using literature to help students confront the human experience of war while the country still lacks a unified curriculum covering its modern history.

Nine islands shaping Lebanon's coast

Lebanon’s coastline is home to a collection of islands, each carrying its own history, landscape and ecological significance. From the northern islands to El Zireh off Sidon, these lesser-known places reveal a different side of Lebanon’s relationship with the sea.

Editors' pick

The paycheck is the tip of the iceberg The paycheck is the tip of the iceberg

The paycheck is the tip of the iceberg

Lebanon’s gender pay gap reflects deeper inequalities in how women’s work, care responsibilities, qualifications and career advancement are valued across the labour market.
By Abir Chebaro
How books are teaching students what history class won't How books are teaching students what history class won't

How books are teaching students what history class won't

Lebanese authors and educators are using literature to help students confront the human experience of war while the country still lacks a unified curriculum covering its modern history.
By Vanessa Kallas
Lebanon’s three water bills Lebanon’s three water bills

Lebanon’s three water bills

Lebanon’s water paradox is leaving households to pay multiple times for a basic necessity, as aging infrastructure, losses and weak management turn a water-rich country into a place where securing reliable supply has become a costly burden.
By Jessica Habchy
Keeping patients out of the red Keeping patients out of the red

Keeping patients out of the red

A look at how Lebanese hospitals manage patient safety, from risk prevention and staff training to accreditation, patient involvement and the push for stronger national benchmarks.
By Michella Rizk
Beirut port explosion: Who has the power to try? Beirut port explosion: Who has the power to try?

Beirut port explosion: Who has the power to try?

The Beirut port blast investigation has entered a new phase after the Court of Cassation prosecutor submitted a legal review outlining alleged responsibilities of more than 70 officials, paving the way for Judge Tarek Bitar to issue the final indictment.
By Joanne Naoum
To understand the threat to our real democracy, watch Putin's fake one To understand the threat to our real democracy, watch Putin's fake one

To understand the threat to our real democracy, watch Putin's fake one

By Rafael Behr

As Russians vote this weekend, remember that Britain is not immune to the cynical tactics and corrosion of trust that keep him in power
PLUS
By Rafael Behr
The vibrant story of Tyrian purple The vibrant story of Tyrian purple

The vibrant story of Tyrian purple

From the Romans to the Byzantines, how did the Tyrian purple lie at the center of the Phoenicians’ world and how does that legacy echo on today?
By Masarra Kahwaji
What Lee Kuan Yew’s warning reveals about Lebanon’s democracy What Lee Kuan Yew’s warning reveals about Lebanon’s democracy

What Lee Kuan Yew’s warning reveals about Lebanon’s democracy

On the International Day of Democracy, Lee Kuan Yew’s warning reveals how Lebanon’s shrinking middle class and lack of consensus on fundamental state principles undermine the foundations of democratic resilience.
By Anthony Chamoun
The Maronite who gave the world Aladdin The Maronite who gave the world Aladdin

The Maronite who gave the world Aladdin

A forgotten manuscript revealed Hanna Diyab, a Maronite from Aleppo, as the Christian storyteller whose tales of Aladdin and Ali Baba helped shape One Thousand and One Nights and became part of global culture.
By Jenna Geagea
The long quest to engineer the soldier The long quest to engineer the soldier

The long quest to engineer the soldier

From ancient warrior rituals and battlefield stimulants to AI-era biotechnology, this article explores humanity’s centuries-long pursuit of creating soldiers who can overcome fear, fatigue and the limits of the human body.
By Nami El Khazen
Why Lebanon lights its mountains for Eid el-Salib Why Lebanon lights its mountains for Eid el-Salib

Why Lebanon lights its mountains for Eid el-Salib

From Saint Helena and the story of the Cross to bonfires, fireworks, scouts, choirs and village traditions, this article looks at how Eid el-Salib has grown into one of Lebanon’s most distinctive celebrations of history, culture and community.
By Michella Rizk
The islands that guard the Red Sea The islands that guard the Red Sea

The islands that guard the Red Sea

The Houthi capture of islands surrounding Bab al-Mandeb brings weapons and surveillance closer to vital shipping lanes, increasing risks to global trade and energy flows.
By Nami El Khazen
Warning: our democracy won’t survive the death of reading. Read on if you still can Warning: our democracy won’t survive the death of reading. Read on if you still can

Warning: our democracy won’t survive the death of reading. Read on if you still can

By John Harris

While fascists protest in UK ports and purvey nonsense and poison online, ever fewer people have the perspective or analytical tools to challenge them
PLUS
By John Harris
Lebanon’s prison bill, in numbers Lebanon’s prison bill, in numbers

Lebanon’s prison bill, in numbers

Lebanon’s 2026 budget contains at least LBP 1.63 trillion in spending that can be explicitly identified as prison-specific. More than half is allocated to food, almost LBP 500 billion to medicines, laboratory materials and hospitalisation, and another LBP 204.8 billion to equipment and maintenance. The procurement records show where some of that money goes, but calculating a simple cost per prisoner is much harder.
By Chelsea Al Arif
When Middle East Airlines danced When Middle East Airlines danced

When Middle East Airlines danced

Between 1963 and 1971, Middle East Airlines sent its employees around the world to perform Lebanese folk dances. It was one way of expressing a stubborn determination the airline would soon come to show in another form: to keep flying, no matter what.
By Paul Van der Stegen
Lebanon’s electricity crisis: Generator bills surge in August Lebanon’s electricity crisis: Generator bills surge in August

Lebanon’s electricity crisis: Generator bills surge in August

Lebanon’s private generator tariffs rose nearly 60% in six months, exposing the growing financial burden of an unreliable public electricity system.
By Christiane Tager
How Ukraine war redrew Russia–North Korea ties How Ukraine war redrew Russia–North Korea ties

How Ukraine war redrew Russia–North Korea ties

Russia and North Korea have transformed a wartime partnership into a strategic alliance built on weapons transfers, troop deployments, transport links and growing economic cooperation.
By Nami El Khazen
Lebanon’s bookshops keep literature alive Lebanon’s bookshops keep literature alive

Lebanon’s bookshops keep literature alive

On International Literacy Day, three Lebanese bookshops reveal how resilience, reinvention and memory are keeping the country’s centuries-old literary tradition alive.
By Jenna Geagea
Physiotherapy and the science of recovery Physiotherapy and the science of recovery

Physiotherapy and the science of recovery

Marking International Physiotherapy Day, this feature looks at how the profession is changing in Lebanon, drawing on interviews with people who have worked within it to explore recovery, specialization and the challenges shaping its future.
By Michella Rizk
Roman-Era treasures from Tyre return home Roman-Era treasures from Tyre return home

Roman-Era treasures from Tyre return home

Three Roman-era sarcophagus fragments looted from Tyre have been recovered in the U.S. and are being repatriated to Lebanon.
By The Beiruter
After the orphanage: The struggle to start over After the orphanage: The struggle to start over

After the orphanage: The struggle to start over

Turning 18 is often seen as the beginning of independence. For young orphans growing up in alternative care, however, it can bring difficult questions about education, housing, documentation, financial security and life without a family safety net. This article explores what happens after 18 and the challenges of building an independent life in Lebanon.
By Yara Saliba
A Turkish revival in northern Lebanon A Turkish revival in northern Lebanon

A Turkish revival in northern Lebanon

In Part I of its investigation, The Beiruter traces how Turkey’s local-level engagements addressed gaps left by the Lebanese state and rebuilt a shared affinity rooted in history, religion, and culture.
By Katharine Sorensen - Soraya Johnson
The code of Cannons: The ability for Eastern Churches to remove their own patriarch The code of Cannons: The ability for Eastern Churches to remove their own patriarch

The code of Cannons: The ability for Eastern Churches to remove their own patriarch

Pope Leo XIV’s reform gives Eastern Catholic synods a formal path to remove patriarchs for grave cause with papal assent, reshaping church accountability with particular significance for the Maronite Church.
By Nami El Khazen
The discount rate Lebanon’s deposit law never states The discount rate Lebanon’s deposit law never states

The discount rate Lebanon’s deposit law never states

Lebanon’s draft Financial Gap Law promises to repay depositors in full, but the market, a hostage negotiation and the central bank’s own balance sheet have already priced the same claim between 12 and 18 percent, and at those rates the promise is worth a fifth of its face value.
By Karim Al Moughrabi
U.S. Congressman LaHood pushes Lebanon to break Hezbollah’s grip U.S. Congressman LaHood pushes Lebanon to break Hezbollah’s grip

U.S. Congressman LaHood pushes Lebanon to break Hezbollah’s grip

U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood told “The Beiruter that he is leading a push for targeted sanctions and robust state support to break Hezbollah’s hold and help Lebanon reclaim its sovereignty.

 

 
By Amal Chmouny
Exclusive to The Beiruter: A growing Maronite presence in Jordan Exclusive to The Beiruter: A growing Maronite presence in Jordan

Exclusive to The Beiruter: A growing Maronite presence in Jordan

After 17 years of waiting, the Maronite Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ at Al-Maghtas in Jordan is finally moving from plans to construction. This exclusive report reveals new details about the project and plans to expand the Maronite presence across Jordan.
By Michella Rizk
Precision for the insurgent Precision for the insurgent

Precision for the insurgent

FPV drones are reshaping insurgency by giving armed groups low-cost precision-strike capabilities once reserved for modern militaries.
By Nami El Khazen
Back to school, but at what price? Back to school, but at what price?

Back to school, but at what price?

As Lebanon’s back-to-school costs soar, families face thousands of dollars in supplies, transportation and tuition while teachers remain underpaid and schools struggle to collect fees.
By Jessica Habchy
Registration week: Every student’s nightmare Registration week: Every student’s nightmare

Registration week: Every student’s nightmare

Students explain how limited capacity, registration priority, website failures and scheduling conflicts turn registration week into a stressful process that can reshape academic plans.
By Lynn El Khalil
Lookout for the future Lebanon, an exclusive interview with ATFL president Ed Gabriel Lookout for the future Lebanon, an exclusive interview with ATFL president Ed Gabriel

Lookout for the future Lebanon, an exclusive interview with ATFL president Ed Gabriel

An Exclusive interview with Edward Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL) and former US ambassador discussing the path forward, the main obstacles to ending the current cycle of hostilities, Washington’s willingness to engage directly with Hezbollah, and the state’s sovereignty.
By Joanne Naoum
The state of Lebanon’s disaster readiness The state of Lebanon’s disaster readiness

The state of Lebanon’s disaster readiness

In an interview with The Beiurter, Zahi Chahine, Head of Lebanon’s National Disaster Risk Management Unit, assesses the country’s preparedness, achievements, and urgent challenges.
By The Beiruter
What makes a house feel like home? What makes a house feel like home?

What makes a house feel like home?

Architecture shapes how we experience a home, from light and privacy to nature and spatial design, creating the conditions for comfort and belonging while personal memories ultimately turn a house into a home.
By Jenna Geagea
Bachir Gemayel: The vision that outlived the president Bachir Gemayel: The vision that outlived the president

Bachir Gemayel: The vision that outlived the president

44 years after his election, Bachir Gemayel’s election and vision of a free, sovereign, and strong Lebanese state continues resonating across generations.
By The Beiruter
The fragile state of migrant workers amid displacement The fragile state of migrant workers amid displacement

The fragile state of migrant workers amid displacement

A Sudanese migrant worker’s story reveals how war, displacement and Lebanon’s kafala system can leave migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation, insecure employment and legal uncertainty.
By Vanessa Kallas
Navigating IVF in Lebanon Navigating IVF in Lebanon

Navigating IVF in Lebanon

IVF in Lebanon offers couples another path to pregnancy while confronting them with medical realities, emotional strain, financial pressures, social expectations, religious beliefs and legal complexities.
By Lynn El Khalil
Becoming Dahiyeh: The political symbol Becoming Dahiyeh: The political symbol

Becoming Dahiyeh: The political symbol

In the second installment of a three-part investigation, The Beiruter traces how political mobilization, Hezbollah’s rise, and decades of war transformed Dahiyeh into one of Lebanon’s most politically charged places.
By Katharine Sorensen
Beneath Lebanon: The underground state Hezbollah built Beneath Lebanon: The underground state Hezbollah built

Beneath Lebanon: The underground state Hezbollah built

Beneath Lebanon lies a hidden military world: Hezbollah’s vast tunnel network reveals the scale of an underground infrastructure built beyond the state’s reach.
By Joanne Naoum
A century of emigration... but will they come back? A century of emigration... but will they come back?

A century of emigration... but will they come back?

For more than a century, Lebanese have left in search of survival, security and opportunity. But today’s exodus is different: Lebanon is losing the very generation it needs to build its future.
By Michella Rizk
Saudi Arabia reimagines maritime security Saudi Arabia reimagines maritime security

Saudi Arabia reimagines maritime security

Saudi Arabia’s Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance (MMDA) reshapes regional maritime security through collective defense, protecting critical waterways, global trade, and energy supplies.
By The Beiruter
Why the repeal of Article 522 remains incomplete Why the repeal of Article 522 remains incomplete

Why the repeal of Article 522 remains incomplete

In an interview with The Beiruter, KAFA lawyer Fatima El Hajj examines why Article 522’s repeal, despite being significant, left legal loopholes that allowed some offenders to evade accountability, prompting renewed calls for reform.
By The Beiruter

Politics

Economy

Lebanon’s electorate: Who is Lebanon counting? Lebanon’s electorate: Who is Lebanon counting?

Lebanon’s electorate: Who is Lebanon counting?

Christians make up roughly one-third of Lebanon’s 2026 electorate, but 53 per cent of Lebanese on the preliminary overseas voting lists. In 1932, the contrast was even greater: Christians represented about half of the resident population counted by the census but 84.7 per cent of the emigrants it recorded. Almost a century later, Lebanon can still measure the sectarian balance of its voters more easily than that of the millions of Lebanese and Lebanese descendants living outside the country.
By Chelsea Al Arif
The new economics of cultural abundance The new economics of cultural abundance

The new economics of cultural abundance

AI is pushing a decades-long decline in production costs to a new extreme, testing what becomes valuable when cultural supply can expand almost without limit.
By The Beiruter
The shipping crisis small firms can’t afford The shipping crisis small firms can’t afford

The shipping crisis small firms can’t afford

Shipping disruptions are driving up the cost of global trade, putting smaller firms at greater risk of being pushed out of international supply chains.
By The Beiruter
Fuel price hikes spark Syria’s biggest post-Assad protests Fuel price hikes spark Syria’s biggest post-Assad protests

Fuel price hikes spark Syria’s biggest post-Assad protests

Syria’s largest post-Assad protests expose the economic pressures facing the new government as fuel hikes deepen public frustration and hardship.
By The Beiruter
Lebanon’s tourism comeback: By the numbers Lebanon’s tourism comeback: By the numbers

Lebanon’s tourism comeback: By the numbers

Lebanon’s 2026 tourism season recovered after a difficult start, but airport traffic, regional demand and spending remained below previous highs, revealing a sector still dependent on stability and confidence.
By Christiane Tager
The world has never owed this much money The world has never owed this much money

The world has never owed this much money

Global government debt is approaching 100% of GDP without triggering a widespread debt crisis, but higher refinancing costs and growing reliance on private investors are making that stability harder to sustain.
By The Beiruter
Lebanon’s economy of waiting Lebanon’s economy of waiting

Lebanon’s economy of waiting

Nearly seven years after Lebanon’s banking collapse, prolonged uncertainty over deposits and reforms continues to delay spending, investment, lending and the country’s economic recovery.
By Carmen Haidar
The $8 billion gap: Who pays the price? The $8 billion gap: Who pays the price?

The $8 billion gap: Who pays the price?

Lebanon’s $8 billion financial gap dispute has become a central battle over who owns the funds, how losses should be distributed, and whether Banque du Liban or the banks should bear responsibility for returning depositors’ money.
By Patricia Jallad
The changing geography of globalization The changing geography of globalization

The changing geography of globalization

Globalization is not retreating, but geopolitical risk is redirecting trade and investment across a wider range of countries, creating new opportunities for those able to connect the world’s largest markets.
By The Beiruter
Why Europe is rethinking where it keeps its gold Why Europe is rethinking where it keeps its gold

Why Europe is rethinking where it keeps its gold

European central banks are reconsidering where they store their gold as geopolitical tensions force governments to weigh easy access to their reserves against greater control over national wealth.
By The Beiruter
China prepares its economy for war China prepares its economy for war

China prepares its economy for war

China’s revised National Defense Mobilization Law aims to shorten the transition from peacetime to a wartime economy by preparing and testing how civilian resources could be converted into military capacity before a conflict begins.
By Katharine Sorensen
Tourism takes a hit: Revenues drop to 50 percent Tourism takes a hit: Revenues drop to 50 percent

Tourism takes a hit: Revenues drop to 50 percent

Lebanon’s 2026 tourism season suffered from war, declining arrivals and weaker spending, leaving businesses with mounting losses and recovery dependent on restored stability and confidence.
By Rimah Hashem
A new era for Lebanon’s social security A new era for Lebanon’s social security

A new era for Lebanon’s social security

Lebanon’s Social Security Fund begins major reforms to restore benefits, introduce pensions, improve governance, and modernize social protection systems.
By The Beiruter
How France is supporting Lebanon’s economic foundations How France is supporting Lebanon’s economic foundations

How France is supporting Lebanon’s economic foundations

France’s €135 million in support to Lebanon in 2025 targeted essential services, highlighting the challenge of turning international aid into lasting economic recovery.
By Christiane Tager
Lebanon learned to live in dollars, can it ever go back? Lebanon learned to live in dollars, can it ever go back?

Lebanon learned to live in dollars, can it ever go back?

From wartime savings to everyday payments, Lebanon’s relationship with the dollar has lasted for decades. This article reveals how instability, banking crises, and loss of trust turned the US currency from a safety net into a permanent part of Lebanese life.
By Michella Rizk
The real cost of rebuilding southern Lebanon The real cost of rebuilding southern Lebanon

The real cost of rebuilding southern Lebanon

Southern Lebanon’s losses go beyond $1.3 billion in physical damage, as war has disrupted businesses, agriculture, jobs and investment, making economic recovery dependent on stability, reconstruction and rebuilding trust.
By Rimah Hashem
The second China shock is different this time The second China shock is different this time

The second China shock is different this time

The latest surge in Chinese exports comes from a country with far greater technological capabilities than during the first China shock, changing the stakes from competition over markets to dependence on the supply chains it increasingly dominates.
By Katharine Sorensen
Tokenization is reinventing the bank deposit Tokenization is reinventing the bank deposit

Tokenization is reinventing the bank deposit

Banks are experimenting with tokenized deposits that could make money faster and easier to transfer, but the same technology could challenge the stability of deposits that banks rely on to fund lending.
By The Beiruter
A paycheck for life? Lebanon’s new pension gamble A paycheck for life? Lebanon’s new pension gamble

A paycheck for life? Lebanon’s new pension gamble

Lebanon’s long-awaited pension reform promises a lifetime retirement income for workers, but its success depends on implementing 14 pending decrees, building the system’s institutions, and ensuring the state can turn the reform from a legal text into real social protection.
By Patricia Jallad
What if AI is not a job problem, but part of the solution? What if AI is not a job problem, but part of the solution?

What if AI is not a job problem, but part of the solution?

AI may reshape or replace millions of jobs, but growing global labor shortages suggest it could also help fill skills gaps, create new roles and transform how humans work.
By Peter Thommen
World Bank warns of Lebanon’s economic setback World Bank warns of Lebanon’s economic setback

World Bank warns of Lebanon’s economic setback

Renewed conflict has derailed Lebanon’s fragile economic recovery, with the World Bank warning of recession, rising inflation, mounting reconstruction costs, and urgent reforms.
By The Beiruter
Lebanon accelerates its digital transformation Lebanon accelerates its digital transformation

Lebanon accelerates its digital transformation

Backed by a $150 million World Bank project, Lebanon is preparing to modernize its public administration through digital services, secure infrastructure, electronic signatures, digital identity and more connected government systems.
By Christiane Tager
When AI researchers became superstar athletes When AI researchers became superstar athletes

When AI researchers became superstar athletes

From multimillion-dollar pay packages to corporate deals that deliver entire research teams, competition for elite AI talent is beginning to resemble the transfer market of professional sports.
By The Beiruter
Why your morning coffee costs more than you think Why your morning coffee costs more than you think

Why your morning coffee costs more than you think

The price of a cup of coffee can reveal how weather, global supply, shipping disruptions, energy costs, inflation, and domestic policies travel across the world before reaching consumers.
By Carmen Haidar
Lebanon’s labor market in the Dark Lebanon’s labor market in the Dark

Lebanon’s labor market in the Dark

Lebanon’s labor market crisis is deepened by weak investment, economic contraction, and the absence of regular unemployment data needed to understand job losses and design effective policies.
By Rimah Hashem
What kind of economy would you choose? What kind of economy would you choose?

What kind of economy would you choose?

The veil of ignorance offers a powerful way to examine how fair institutions, equal opportunities, and strong governance can shape economic prosperity and determine whether circumstances at birth define a person’s future.
By Carmen Haidar
The return of affordable housing loans The return of affordable housing loans

The return of affordable housing loans

The Housing Bank has resumed housing lending, offering renewed opportunities for affordable homeownership through a sustainable and long-term financing strategy.
By Anthony Chamoun
The crop Lebanon legalized but never built The crop Lebanon legalized but never built

The crop Lebanon legalized but never built

Parliament legalized cannabis cultivation in 2020. Six years later, Lebanon has not issued a single cultivation license. The regulatory framework is reportedly close to completion, but the sector remains blocked by an implementation failure that has left farmers outside the law and the promised industry on paper.
By Michel Tawk
The productivity gap dividing advanced economies The productivity gap dividing advanced economies

The productivity gap dividing advanced economies

Productivity growth has slowed sharply across advanced economies, but widening gaps among countries show that investment, technology adoption and the ability to put capital and workers to productive use can determine how much growth is ultimately lost.
By The Beiruter
What countries lose when talent leaves What countries lose when talent leaves

What countries lose when talent leaves

As wealthy economies compete for skilled workers, new research highlights what countries such as Lebanon stand to lose when their most educated workers take their labor, productivity and expertise abroad.
By The Beiruter
Europe’s American arsenal Europe’s American arsenal

Europe’s American arsenal

Europe is spending hundreds of billions on defense, but reliance on American weapons and procurement systems dominated by established national contractors are complicating its push for greater military autonomy.
By Katharine Sorensen
Lebanon–Syria: 40 agreements under review Lebanon–Syria: 40 agreements under review

Lebanon–Syria: 40 agreements under review

Lebanon and Syria are reviewing more than 40 legacy agreements as they seek to revive bilateral trade, streamline cross-border transit and build a modern framework for investment and economic cooperation.
By Christiane Tager
Lebanon's remittance lifeline begins to weaken Lebanon's remittance lifeline begins to weaken

Lebanon's remittance lifeline begins to weaken

Lebanon's remittance inflows fell by 13.4% in 2024, exposing the country's heavy dependence on diaspora support and raising concerns over consumer spending, liquidity and long-term economic recovery.

 
By Christiane Tager
De-risking's double edge De-risking's double edge

De-risking's double edge

"De-risking", the movement toward "economic resilience", is at the forefront of policy agendas around the globe as global crises reveal the fragility of our deeply intertwined economic system. Is this a productive shift toward stability, or will it divide our world into rival trade blocs, mitigating the benefits of globalization and free trade that our world has progressed toward?
By Soraya Johnson
Lebanon bets on higher taxes despite a fiscal turnaround Lebanon bets on higher taxes despite a fiscal turnaround

Lebanon bets on higher taxes despite a fiscal turnaround

As Lebanon's government revenues surge and public finances return to surplus, economists question why new taxes continue to be introduced instead of prioritizing tax evasion, spending reforms and greater fiscal efficiency.

 
By Christiane Tager
SOLIDERE after 2029, a second extension? SOLIDERE after 2029, a second extension?

SOLIDERE after 2029, a second extension?

As the government considers whether to extend SOLIDERE's mandate until 2069, new research into the company's legal, financial and planning history examines what SOLIDERE has delivered, what public value remains to be recovered and what should happen after 2029.
By Katharine Sorensen
Friend or foe? Crypto regulation's challenge Friend or foe? Crypto regulation's challenge

Friend or foe? Crypto regulation's challenge

Cryptocurrency's promise of decentralized, private transactions simultaneously strengthens authoritarian regimes seeking to circumvent sanctions and emboldens the democratic movements resisting them. This underscores the need for targeted, precise regulation that undermines regimes without harming the people they repress.
By Soraya Johnson
The diamond divide: Lebanon’s new luxury battle The diamond divide: Lebanon’s new luxury battle

The diamond divide: Lebanon’s new luxury battle

Lebanon's diamond market is being reshaped by the rise of lab-grown diamonds, forcing consumers to choose between long-term resale value and affordable luxury. 

 
By Jessica Habchy
Empowering women entrepreneurs beyond Beirut Empowering women entrepreneurs beyond Beirut

Empowering women entrepreneurs beyond Beirut

A Lebanese League for Women in Business initiative is helping women in North Lebanon, Chouf and the Bekaa develop sustainable businesses, highlighting how entrepreneurship can expand economic opportunity beyond Beirut.
By The Beiruter
A small vineyard with a distinctive global identity A small vineyard with a distinctive global identity

A small vineyard with a distinctive global identity

Despite economic collapse, war, and supply chain disruptions, Lebanon's wine industry continues to thrive through resilient producers, indigenous grape varieties, and a growing global reputation as one of the country's leading cultural and agricultural ambassadors.
By Christiane Tager

Special report

ads_banner

The B

Technology

Opinion