Lebanon This Week
Issue 107 March 9-13, 2009 Economic Research & Analysis Department LEBANON THIS WEEK MinisterIn of This Economy Issue reinstate Charts of the Week Economic Indicators....................1 Monetary Freedom Index in MENA Countries for 2009 80.0 80.0 80 78.6 78.4 Capital Markets...........................1 77.3 Lebanon in the News...................2 75 74.0 Lebanon ranks 128th globally, 17th in MENA region in credit ratings 71.7 71.4 Average Coincident Indicator rises by 70.3 69.8 10.2% in 2008 70 68.4 Launch of anti-corruption center 67.3 67.2 66.5 65.9 Beirut has 33rd highest office occupan- cy cost and 43rd most expensive retail 65 rent in the world UAE Oman Libya Qatar Syria Egypt Lebanon represented in Forbes maga- Jordan Algeria Tunisia Kuwait Yemen zine list of world billionaires Morocco Lebanon Bahrain Saudi Arabia Beirut Port launches $120m expansion Monetary Freedom Index in Lebanon plan 95 Activation of €45m Iranian loan to Lebanon 91.3 Economy Ministry signs MoU with Iran, 90 88.4 launches Lebanese Quality Management Model 85 83.5 Net public debt at $41.4bn at end- 82.9 January 2009 82.0 Airport passengers up 18.6% in first two 80 77.8 months of 2009 77.3 Most tourists spending in Lebanon in first two months of 2009 originated from 75 Saudi Arabia and the UAE 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009F International institutions to provide technical support for June elections Source: Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal, 2009 Quote to Note Corporate Highlights .................6 Commercial banks' assets reach $93.8bn at end-January 2009 “Prudent fiscal and monetary policies, ongoing vigilance in financial supervision, and proactive contingency planning should top the policy agenda.” Kafalat loan guarantees reach $17.1m in first two months of 2009 The International Monetary Fund, on the needed priorities of Lebanese author- SGBL’s profits at $44m in 2008 ities in view of the risks facing the domestic economy.
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