For Neji*, the two-room apartment he shares with seven other men was supposed to be a refuge. Six years ago, he fled his home in Syria to escape the bombings that haunted ordinary life there. Last month, he narrowly survived the shockwave from Lebanon’s largest explosion as it tore through his neighborhood a mere kilometer…
Why investing in refugees benefits host communities and the refugees’ country of origin
“We, the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, cannot take it anymore as the hunger is in our body, and the body of our children was ruined because of the lack of food and the quarantine. The evidence of our commitment to the general mobilization and the quarantine is that none of the refugees caught the virus.…
Lebanese poverty rates swell across income groups
Over the past year, Lebanon has experienced an onslaught of multiple growth shocks including a banking and exchange-rate crisis, an outbreak of COVID-19, and an explosion that has claimed large swathes of Beirut’s commercial centre and a bulk of trade facilities. These new shocks add to the longer-standing economic and financial crunch that have swelled…
UNESCO tackles physical, psychological and systemic educational challenges
UNESCO began coordinating school rehabilitation efforts after the massive port explosion in Beirut on August 4th. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) has requested UNESCO to lead a wide international effort to coordinate the rehabilitation of public and private schools in the Beirut governorate. In this role, UNESCO will be coordinating partnerships, finance,…
Why direct support is more efficient than subsidies and how to transition
Before the Beirut port explosion, which took the lives of close to 200 people, injured thousands, and destroyed swaths of the capital, the Lebanese people faced a deteriorating economic and social situation: the banking crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a 10-year humanitarian crisis caused by the unprecedented influx of displaced Syrians. The pre-explosion economy was…
Executive Magazine’s September/October issue
Dear stakeholders in Lebanon’s return, dear friends with discerning minds, and all readers of Executive, We are proud to present you with the best-ever socioeconomic issue of Executive Magazine at this decisive moment for our country’s social and economic development. Our September – October 2020 issue is available to read online or for download and…
Executive is hiring!
Executive Magazine is looking to hire a new sections editor. The new sections editor will take responsibility for researching and writing analytical pieces that satisfy the highest journalistic standards. She/he will contribute to special reports for our coverage of new economic sectors in Lebanon, as well as traditional economic pillars that continue to play important roles in the Lebanese economy, from hospitality…
UNDP and Executive Magazine partner to advance dialogue on addressing corruption in Lebanon
Beirut, 20 August 2020 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Executive Magazine, Lebanon’s premier economic, financial, and business magazine, are today announcing a new partnership to support national dialogue on efforts to fight corruption in Lebanon through evidence-based analysis and actionable recommendations. The fight against corruption is a top national priority amid efforts…
Special report on anti-corruption in Lebanon
Throughout June and July, the Executive team, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and experts both in and outside the country, was working on a special report on anti-corruption in Lebanon. It was to be the main focus of the magazine; we had a cover commissioned and executed perfectly by illustrator Sasha…
Lebanon’s anti-corruption movement
Editor’s note: This piece was slightly modified after the Beirut Port explosion. It was, however, largely written prior to August 4 along with the other contributions to the anti-corruption special report. There has not been a time in Lebanon when anti-corruption was a nationwide demand and a necessity for the preservation and development of the country…