Articles by
Pity the nation that enters into an unwinnable war
Lebanon cannot afford a war with no end game, and neither can the world.
Currency Chaos: Lebanon’s Exchange Rate Policy
Assessing Lebanon’s exchange rate chaos: Sayrafa, monetary governance reforms, and the need for a managed float of the lira.
‘They’ Have Names: Who’s Behind Lebanon’s Banks & State
An editorial investigation into how the vested financial interests of Lebanese bankers and politicians are one and the same.
Cross Contamination: The Banking Interests Plaguing Public Office in Lebanon
The Alternative’s investigation of Lebanon’s banking sector reveals conflicts of interest behind the country’s financial and political masters
Bank Audi
Founded: 1962 Total Assets*: US$27.0 billion Customer Deposits*: US$20.2 billion Ranking by Assets*: 1 (*as of Dec 31, 2021, ABL Almanac 2022 converted at 1507.5 LBP/USD) Background From humble beginnings as an exchange house in Saida established in 1830 that extended credit to farmers,[1] Bank...
Blom Bank
Founded: 1958 Total Assets*: US$26.48 billion Customer Deposits**: US$21.06 billion Ranking by Assets*: 2 (*as of Dec 31, 2021, ABL Almanac 2022 converted at 1507.5 LBP/USD) (**as of Dec 31, 2020, Bilanbanques 2021) Background Banque du Liban et d’Outre-Mer (BLOM) was incorporated in 1958, with...
SGBL
Founded: 1953 Total Assets*: US$25.95 billion Customer Deposits*: US$18.71 billion Ranking by Assets*: 3 (*as of Dec 31, 2018, ABL Almanac 2022, converted at LL1507.5/US$) History Société Générale de Banque du Liban (SGBL) was founded in 1953 by Antoun Mikhail Sehnaoui, the great-uncle of the...
Byblos Bank
Founded: 1950 Total Assets*: US$17.24 billion Customer Deposits*: US$13.2 billion Ranking by Assets*: 4 (*as of Dec 31, 2021, ABL Almanac 2022, converted at LL1507.5/US$) History Businessman Semaan Bassil Sr. and his brother Youssef Melkan Bassil established Société Commerciale et Agricole Byblos...