Beirut, 15 May 2017
The Euromoney Lebanon Conference took place today on 15 May 2017, at the InterContinental Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut.
The one-day event, supported by the Banque du Liban and the Capital Markets Authority, brought together high-level government officials, investors, financiers, business leaders and entrepreneurs from Lebanon and around the world to examine the economic impact of domestic political stability, the challenges still facing Lebanon’s economy and in particular the prospects for the financial sector.
Organised by Euromoney Conferences – the world’s leading organiser of conferences for cross-border investment and capital markets – the event attracted around 400 delegates from Lebanon and countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Canada, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom.
H.E. Mr. Riad Salamé opened the conference and for the first time participated in a live one-on-one on-stage interview with Euromoney. The Governor of Banque du Liban began by looking at the global macro environment and prospects for growth, before discussing the bank’s outlook for Lebanon over the next twelve months including initiatives to ensure stability within the country. The bank’s support for financial inclusion was also mentioned, noting how financial technology can play a part in improving financial inclusion.
Senior executives Amine Awad, General Manager of BLOM Bank, Freddie Baz, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Group Strategy Director of Bank Audi and Carlos Abou Jaoude, Managing Partner of Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm also took part in on-stage interviews.
Discussions at the conference included a macro overview of the Lebanese economy followed by a special session with Mr Wissam Chbat, Chairman of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA), discussing the new opportunities within Lebanon’s oil and gas sector. Industry experts examined the regulations and infrastructure for capital markets in Lebanon and whether Lebanon can use the global debt markets more effectively. The super service economy special session closed the conference exploring how the tourism industry within Lebanon can contribute to the country’s economy as a whole.
Victoria Behn, Director of Middle East and Africa at Euromoney Conferences said, “It has been a fascinating day of discussions focused on the challenges and prospects facing the Lebanese economy. Euromoney is committed to continuing our work here in Lebanon and communicating the Lebanon story to the international markets. We thank His Excellency Mr Riad Salamé, the Banque du Liban, the CMA and all of our sponsors for their support in making this a successful conference.” Sponsors for the 2017 conference included Bank Audi and BLOM Bank as Lead Sponsors, First National Bank as an Exhibitor and Middle East Venture Partners and LF Funds as Supporting Organisations.