Lebanon’s Fragile Strength

by Faysal Badran February 1, 2006

written by Faysal Badran February 1, 2006

As we keep hammering in many articles, the end game for a country like Lebanon is to attract and keep foreign investors. The thinking goes that foreign investment in the private sector will serve to offset the debt-laden public sector and help fuel economic growth. As eloquently put by our economics minister, economic growth needs an increase in job creation. This is a national interest issue. What is puzzling, when one watches the political landscape, besides the ineptitude of most politicians and their thirst for individual enrichment, is how little they are focusing on the need to get this economy going. Back in the Hariri days, despite all what has been said and done, there was a clear emphasis on getting the economic engine running. The best testimonial to the good work done by Hariri is in fact the current behavior of all asset markets in Lebanon. Many pundits and

Faysal Badran

Faysal Badran is the head of NCB Capital, a Saudi-based wealth and asset management firm. He oversees the company’s regional and international equities, global fixed income, money market, and alternative investments. Before joining NCB Capital, Badran spent five years at its parent company, National Commercial Bank (NCB), working in the office of the chief financial officer and in the international sector division. He also contributed as a writer for Executive magazine in Lebanon. Badran holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from DePauw University in the U.S.

Lebanon’s Fragile Strength

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