Home DECEMBER 2014

DECEMBER 2014

by reeda

DECEMBER 2014

 

EDITORIAL





ECONOMICS & POLICY



From resilience to inaction
Lebanon must fight for a better future






Still a long way to go
Many challenges remain ahead of the 2015 Millenium Development Goals deadline






In search of decent work
The downward spiral of working conditions in Lebanon






No direction home
UNHCR looks for opportunities to improve Lebanese communities while assisting Syrian refugees






The incremental approach
The Finance Ministry’s director general outlines problems with Lebanon’s finances, and how he wants to fix them






Race to the bottom
With a widening deficit and sluggish growth, Lebanon’s economy is in trouble




OIL & GAS



Floating an idea
New technologies are key for addressing gas export challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean






Towards energy independence
Helping Lebanon strengthen transparency in the oil and gas sector






Reality sets in
After more than a year of waiting, Lebanon still sees no action on oil and gas exploration




BANKING



Dormant capital
Lebanon’s monetary policy serves only the banks, not the economy






Banking in subdued colors
The success of foreign operations sees Lebanese banks looking abroad




FINANCE



A sea of small fish
Lebanon needs financial products for smaller investors






Going digital
Middle East wealth management prepares for the future


and and




How to do an IPO
Regulations are still being put into place, but the requirements of listing on the Beirut Stock Exchange are clear


and




It's hard to enter when you can't exit
Romen Mathieu and Gilles de Clerk explain the challenges facing private equity in the Middle East






Stunted growth
Financial services remain small and personal




ENTREPRENEURSHIP



Promising outlook
The pillars for Lebanon’s startup success






Preparing for takeoff
Lebanon’s startup ecosystem has made big gains in recent years, yet questions remain about the future






Getting hands on
Abdallah and Ghaith Yafi of Y Venture Partners explain their new fund






In comes the money
Lebanon’s venture capital industry just got interesting




INDUSTRY



Industrial revolution 2.0
Lebanon should not miss out on the next big technological advance: Mechatronics










Industrialization in a global economy
Cristiano Pasini explains the difficulties of encouraging growth in a statistical wasteland






Muddling through
Lebanon’s industry hopes for a better 2015




AUTOMOTIVE



It came out of nowhere
A startling new regulation will hurt both auto dealers and buyers






Hell's angels
Illegal trade to bolster motorbike sales






Two wheels forward
More motorbikes could be a game changer for traffic and pollution in Lebanon






Two wheels a go-go
Lebanon’s motorbike sector picks up speed






Hit the road
Lebanon’s automobile industry fears a sales downturn in 2015




RETAIL



Lebanese fall for ‘fast fashion’
Customers look to midmarket products amid financial crunch






Retail highs and lows
Lebanon needs an ‘electric shock’ to stop it from falling into recession in 2015






Downward spiral
Shoppers feeling the crunch migrate to low end retailers




WINE & SPIRITS



Fine wining
Lebanese vintages have the potential to go global






In the spirit of Lebanon
The head of the Union Vinicole du Liban speaks about efforts to promote Lebanese wine abroad






The slow road
Interest in locally produced wine is on the rise






J2 vodka hits the ground running
A new Lebanese brand tries to solidify a home base before looking for opportunities abroad






Glass half full
There is room for all in Lebanon’s wine and spirits market




HOSPITALITY & TOURISM



New flavors
The F&B industry sees plenty of room for development in 2015






A break in the clouds
Minister of Tourism Michel Pharaon explains his campaign to encourage foreign and domestic tourism


and




A bumpy ride
Lebanon’s hotels did better than expected this year, but aren’t yet in the clear






Local market rules
The F&B sector relies heavily on the local market for survival




REAL ESTATE



Building for demand
Lebanon’s construction regulation process should take market needs into account, says Jihad Ibrahim






Impending calamity
According to Ghassan Moukheiber, legal ambiguity regarding the new rent law will spell trouble in 2015






A work in progress
Beirut’s mayor explains his strategy to improve green spaces in 2015






The slump begins to hurt
Developers are cutting prices and looking abroad to up their cash flow




ART



Preservation and innovation
Tarek Mitri discusses the reopening of the Sursock Museum


and




In photos: Art in the city
In both its licensed and unlicensed forms, art is retaking Beirut’s public spaces


and




Beirut, the artistic capital
The eternal struggle between art and commerce continues




LAST WORD



Sowing seeds
Lebanon is behind in labor reforms, but can make a fresh start in 2015