December 2016



Editorial


Starting afresh



ECONOMICS & POLICY


Lebanon’s economy weathers a tough 2016
Internal and external crises hamper growth




A year toward the recovery of Lebanon
A partnership for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development


and



Outlook brightens for renewables
Electricity sector reform remains essential




New strategy needed for Lebanon’s oil and gas
Let’s get serious about developing the sector




From Paris to Marrakesh and beyond
The Lebanese path to climate action




Unemployed and underemployed
A lack of jobs in Lebanon means many Syrian refugees can’t find work




It is all possible
Imagining Lebanon a decade from now




Limited reset
Executive speaks with UK ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter


and


BANKING, FINANCE & INSURANCE


A retrospective
Accounting for blessings




Analysis of banking sector results
Lebanese banks sustain their high financial standing and profitability




Big money
Financial engineering explored


and



What to expect from Lebanese banks in 2017
Conventional and unconventional plans




An awfully quiet year
Sector saw limited growth in 2016




Freedom of insurance
Lebanon’s regulatory frameworks are incomplete




A promise of wealth
Looking at Islamic finance in today’s Lebanese context



ENTREPRENEURSHIP


Is Lebanon’s startup ecosystem sustainable?
Four challenges the ecosystem needs to address in 2017


and



Start me up
Talking entrepreneurship with French Ambassador Emmanuel Bonne



INDUSTRY & AGRICULTURE


Regional instability harms Lebanese exports
Industrial and agricultural sectors hope for improvements in 2017




The Lebanese solar revolution
The rise of solar power brings falling costs, increased savings and more reliability




Agriculture overload
Despite an anticipated economic boost, Lebanon’s agro sector faces steep challenges




Grapes of success
Lebanese wine producers are still growing despite everything




Italy hopes to expand strategically
In conversation with Italy’s ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti



REAL ESTATE


The lights are on, but no one’s at home
Finding residents for Beirut’s luxury towers is proving difficult




The view from Beirut
Closing 2016 on an ambivalent outcome



MEDIA & ADVERTISING


The eternal crisis
Media makers and their 2016 struggle for survival




Excursion into Lebanese journalistic futures
Professional media and the quest to discover new relevance




From the other side of the mirror
A perspective on Lebanon’s advertising industry




A frank, but hopeful, view
As recent events push Germany to the center stage, Executive talks with German Ambassador Martin Huth



HOSPITALITY & TOURISM


Too many plates on the table?
Lebanese F&B operators cope with competition amidst a narrow local market




Kings of the cluster
Venture Group talks sustainability, competition and regional expansion




Visiting Lebanon
Executive talks tourism with China’s Ambassador Wang Kejian




Light at the end of the tunnel?
Lebanon’s hoteliers survive 2016 while contemplating a brighter year to come




A balancing act
Lebanon’s retailers talk adaptation and growth