Picture this. Mohammed and Mahmoud are good friends. The former is married to the latter’s maternal cousin, and most evenings after work are spent together around the dinner table followed …
-
-
Coming home has paid off so farfor Societe de Grands Hotels duLiban (SGHL). After openingVendome Hotel in 1996, its profits jumpedfrom $42,101 in 1997 to $3 million, unaudited,last year. SGHL …
-
Not a bad start. Only two years after the central bank let Credit Libanais loose in the market – followed by a complete restructuring program (see “Back to life,” December …
-
Expectations for most industries arefairly routine. When sales sink inthe middle of an economic slowdown,earnings should follow suit. Not soat Uniceramic, Lebanon’s leading ceramictile manufacturer, whose sales dropped 9%in 1999. …
-
“It was a real mess,” describes ElieGhorayeb on what he saw when hefirst came in as Casino du Liban’schairman and general manager in March1999. His objective: do a clean-up job. …
-
T here was little hope for TMA’s survival just a few years ago. Once one of the world’s premier air freight carriers, reaching the fourth position in cargo capacity per …
-
The US is experiencing its longest economic growthperiod in history. The end of February marked the107th month of strong economic performance,surpassing its previous record set in the colorful 60s (106months …
-
It wasn’t all that bad for Lebanon’s listedbanks last year. Caught in the middleof the country’s worst recession since thewar, falling interest rates that put a squeezeon spreads and competition …
-
The Obegi family once owned one of the largestand most respected banks in Lebanon. Butduring the war, the family became fed up runningCredit Libanais under harsh conditions. “It was difficultto …
-
Ever since the Golden Arches first litup the night sky in Dora inNovember 1998, the Lebanese justcan’t seem to get enough of that all-Americanfast-food chain. Beirut’s fivebranches of McDonald’s are …