Executive Magazine spoke with Dr. François S. Bassil, general manager at Byblos Bank and president of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, for his views on the Lebanese banking sector in the current global financial conditions. E How do you see the current and future economic situation of Lebanon in view of domestic and global developments? The Lebanese economy has demonstrated its resilience in the face of a series of political shocks since 2005, but it also missed many opportunities and could not take full advantage of the economic boom in the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the unprecedented level of liquidity in the region during that period. The Lebanese economy grew by 7.4% in 2004, its highest growth level in the previous 10 years, so the system demonstrated that it has competitive advantages and that the economy can attract capital, tourists, foreign companies and talent. But due
