DECEMBER 2014

The unsuspected juggernaut

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

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

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

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

Going digital
Middle East wealth management prepares for the future

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

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

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

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

The technologies of tomorrow
Technica, leading the way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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