LeBusiness — Lebanon Business News & Market Insights
Hexa Coworking, the First Workspace Inside a Lebanese Shopping Mall
Hexa Coworking is the first coworking space in Lebanon located inside a shopping mall, with hubs at ABC Mall in Verdun and Spot Mall in Choueifat. Opened in 2021, it hosts entrepreneurs, startups, remote workers, business support programs, and community events.
Lebanon's $232 Million Question: Saudi Export Ban May Be Nearing Its End
Direct talks between Lebanon's president and Saudi leadership have revived the possibility of reopening Saudi markets to Lebanese exports. Before the 2021 ban, Lebanon was exporting $232 million a year to the Kingdom. New scanners at borders and verified export businesses are central to rebuilding trust.
The Lebanese Co-Founders Behind an AI School Platform for Inclusive Learning
Most schools juggle a messaging app, a grading tool, a parent portal, and more, and the pieces rarely talk to each other. Weeklik, a UAE-based AI school management platform co-founded by Nancy Aoun and Magaly Abs, pulls the whole school week into one connected view. It is built from the start to support students with learning difficulties such as ADHD and dyslexia.
Elie Saab and Bombardier Design a Private Jet Cabin Together
Lebanese couture house ELIE SAAB and Canadian planemaker Bombardier have unveiled a bespoke cabin design for the Global 8000 business jet. The two brands revealed the project in Monaco during the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The cabin is now offered as an option to Global 8000 buyers.
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Collabfront Wants to Run Lebanon's Creator Economy
Ali Younes built the first Lebanese app linking local brands with creators, and it is already moving into the UAE.
Collabfront is a Lebanese app that connects brands with local creators for paid campaigns and barter activations. Founder Ali Younes started it after running into a wall trying to find and hire creators in Lebanon. Three months after launch, the platform has signed up more than 500 creators and over 100 brands.
A Lebanese Psychologist Is Using AI and VR to Reach Patients Therapy Misses
Fouad Monzer built XRAPY in Zalka to make mental health care affordable, reachable, and free of stigma.
XRAPY is a Lebanese mental health company that pairs clinical therapy with AI and VR tools, founded in 2023 by clinical psychologist Fouad Monzer. From its base in Zalka, it runs a clinic, an IT lab, and a training arm that recently became Pallium Canada's official Lebanese partner. This is the story of how it is trying to close the gap in a region where care is often treated as a luxury.
Rabih Bader Wants Every Lebanese Business to Run on AI Agents
The Jounieh startup To AI builds sales and support agents that work across websites, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
To AI is a Jounieh-based startup founded in 2023 that builds practical AI agents for businesses. Its AI Suite, led by the omnichannel Sales Aigent, helps companies handle conversations, bookings, and sales flows in one place. Co-founder and CTO Rabih Bader is betting that small and mid-sized firms across Lebanon and the Middle East can adopt AI without a large tech team.
LivGood Puts Lebanon's Scattered Health Aisle on One Screen
The Lebanon-wide online market gathers 2,500+ health and wellness products so shoppers stop chasing niche finds.
LivGood is an online marketplace that delivers health and wellness products across Lebanon, from high-protein snacks and gluten-free staples to supplements and clean beauty. It lets shoppers browse by lifestyle rather than category, so people on keto, vegan, lactose-free or celiac diets can find what they need in one place. The platform also connects customers with dietitians and health coaches for guidance.
17-Year-Old Lebanese Developer Builds an Astronomy Social Network App
Miryam El Samad taught herself to code at 14 and built an app to connect stargazers, hobbyists, and space workers.
Astrophile is an astronomy social network created by Miryam El Samad, who started learning to code at fourteen out of boredom. What began as a simple stargazing diary grew, through a fast-growing Instagram following, into an app with community, astrophotography, and startup sections. This is the story of how a solo teenage developer turned a childhood obsession with space into a working product.
Two Beirut Brothers Want to Make the Menu Talk Back
Tamr lets restaurant guests ask the menu anything by QR code, and shows owners what every table is asking.
Tamr is a Beirut startup building a conversational layer on top of restaurant menus. Guests scan a QR code and ask questions in plain language, getting answers from a named digital waiter, while owners see in near real time what guests want and what is being missed. Founded by brothers Josef and Ayman Abi Aoun, it is launching first in Lebanon and the wider MENA region.
LAU Breaks Into Arab Top 10 in Times Higher Education Ranking
The Lebanese American University rose three places to ninth and now leads all Lebanese schools in the THE Arab table.
The Lebanese American University has entered the top 10 of the Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings 2026, climbing to ninth from 12th. LAU is now ranked first in Lebanon in this regional table, ahead of the American University of Beirut.
Chloe Kteily: Lebanese DJ's Rise From Beirut to the Region
The Lebanese DJ has gone from Beirut clubs to stages across the Gulf, Egypt, and Cyprus by fusing Oriental sound with sharp business sense.
Chloe Kteily started with a borrowed DJ setup and a love for music. Today the Lebanese DJ performs across Lebanon, the Gulf, Egypt, and Cyprus, blending Oriental beats with a calculated read of every crowd she plays. Her rise is a study in ambition, adaptability, and treating a DJ booth like a business.
Why a KPMG Director Built His Climate Startup in Beirut
Terra Instinct retrofits buildings with solar and heat pumps, and runs it all from Lebanon.
Terra Instinct decarbonises real estate and turns it into income for landlords, with multi-megawatt solar and large-scale heat pump retrofits across the UK, France, and Saudi Arabia. Its British founder, Harry Briggs, chose Beirut as headquarters in 2023 and stayed through two years of war. A new Achrafieh office opens in June 2026.
Feryal El Moghraby Built NOVAI So Good Ideas Get Funded
The NGO consultant turned founder uses AI to help nonprofits find funding and write stronger proposals.
NOVAI is an AI platform that helps nonprofits, charities, foundations, and social enterprises find funding opportunities, decide whether to apply, and build donor-aligned proposals. It was founded by Feryal El Moghraby, an NGO consultant with more than a decade of experience across the Middle East and Africa, and now runs in Arabic, English, and French with an R&D base in France.
Lebanon's Summer Tourism Season Buckles Under a New War
Renewed conflict and a regional fuel crisis have cut tourism revenues by roughly three quarters and emptied hotels.
Lebanon's tourism sector is absorbing the heaviest blow of the renewed war, with revenues down about 74 percent versus the 2024 season and hotel occupancy below 10 percent. Limited flights and surging airfares have isolated the country at the start of what should be its peak season.
A Lebanese Platform Built Only for Mental Health Clinics
Astral, from Beirut software house Lunarware, runs the full workflow of a psychiatry or therapy practice.
Astral is a cloud platform made for psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and clinic administrators. Built by Lebanese software company Lunarware S.A.R.L. and registered in Lebanon and Cyprus, it handles patient intake, scheduling, consultations, medication tracking, and analytics in one place. Founder Nicolas Kik built it to replace the fragmented tools many mental health practices still rely on.
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He Almost Closed CompuVision. A Harvard Course Changed That.
How Fares Saab built a $5.6M Lebanese AI and software firm through the country's collapse, with no outside money.
Fares Saab launched CompuVision in Lebanon at 22 with no capital and no investors. When the economy collapsed and clients stopped spending, he nearly shut down, then took an online Harvard marketing course that led to his first US deal. CompuVision now serves clients like Saudi Aramco from offices in Lebanon, Miami, and Dubai.
Beirut Holds #341 Spot in StartupBlink's 2026 Global Index
The capital keeps its lead as Lebanon's top startup city, giving founders and diaspora investors a fresh benchmark.
Beirut ranks 341st worldwide and first in Lebanon in the StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026. The placement gives founders and diaspora investors a current reference point for weighing Lebanon as a talent base against regional peers.
A French-Lebanese Bet on Fixing Wealth and Treasury Software
Anis Rahal built XFOLIO across Paris and Beirut to merge portfolio management and treasury into one platform.
XFOLIO is a French-Lebanese fintech founded by serial entrepreneur Anis Rahal in 2024. The platform pulls portfolio management and treasury automation into a single cloud system, handling everything from stocks and bonds to real estate, art, and collectibles. Built across Europe and the Middle East, it aims to give mid-sized wealth managers tools that used to be reserved for large institutions.
How to Register Property in Lebanon: Steps and Cost
A practical guide to the Land Registry process, the papers you need, and the fees that decide who owns the property.
Buying property in Lebanon is only final once it is registered at the Land Registry. This explainer walks through the full process, the documents required, the roughly 5.8 percent in registration fees, and the special rules that apply to foreign buyers.
Top 10 Richest People of Lebanese Origin
From a Mexican telecom giant to Beirut's Mikati brothers, here are the 10 biggest Lebanese fortunes.
The wealthiest people of Lebanese origin hold fortunes spread across Mexico, Brazil, France, and Lebanon itself. This report ranks the top 10 by net worth and explains where each fortune comes from, using Forbes figures.
Azadea Leads Lebanon's Top Companies by Revenue
ZoomInfo's May 2026 ranking puts retail group Azadea ahead of INDEVCO and Dar on reported revenue.
A new ZoomInfo ranking of the top companies in Lebanon places retail group Azadea first by reported revenue, ahead of packaging maker INDEVCO and engineering firm Dar. The figures are estimates from the data provider, not audited company filings, and show that Lebanon's largest private firms earn most of their money outside the country.
How to Apply for an Official Housing Loan in Lebanon in 2026
The Housing Bank now lends up to $100,000 in fresh dollars, and the application runs entirely online.
Lebanon's official subsidized housing loan now goes up to $100,000 through Banque de l'Habitat, after the state lifted the previous $50,000 cap in 2025. This guide explains who qualifies, the loan terms, and the exact steps to apply through the bank's online platform.
Jounieh-Larnaca Ferry to Sail June 9 After a Year of Delays
The Abou Merhi Group's Cedar Waves service reopens a sea link between Lebanon and Cyprus closed for nearly two decades.
A passenger ferry between Jounieh and Larnaca is reported to start sailing on June 9, run by the Abou Merhi Group under the Cedar Waves brand. The crossing takes about four hours, with round trips priced around USD 220 at launch. It is Lebanon's first scheduled passenger ferry service in decades.
