Lebanon's rebirth as one of the world's most desirable tourist destinations has seen innumerable setbacks. Almost systemic political turmoil and periodic violent spats with its neighbours have historically put it on most Western tourists' blacklists. However, Lebanon has been peaceful since 2006 and has achieved some measure of political stability through its elections in June.
FDI Intelligence statistics for overseas investment projects in Lebanon between January 2003 to May 2009 show that foreign direct investment in the country is largely focused on construction and tourism. By far the biggest group of visitors to visit Lebanon in 2008 were from the Gulf, but with its huge population of ex-pats living across the globe it is highly likely that an extended period of peace will bring more visitors from more diverse locations.
Trend tracking
The statistics, which were based on a wide range of key criteria, revealed a number of key trends:
- Between January 2003 and May 2009, fDi Markets recorded a total of 102 investment projects from 88 companies.
- The leading sector was hotels and tourism, which accounted for 15% of projects.
- The leading business activity was construction, which accounted for 26% of projects.
- The top 10 companies accounted for 24% of all investment projects, with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts (Canada), Nokia (Finland) and Computer Associates International (US) among the top 10 companies.
- The top three source markets for investment were the United Arab Emirates, the US and Italy, providing 23%, 22% and 6% of investment projects, respectively.
Project trends analysis (2003-2009)
Project Trends Analysis
Industry Analysis: Number of Projects by Sector
Industry Analysis: Number of Projects by Activity
Source Market Analysis: City (2003-2009)
Company Analysis: Projects by Year
Source Market Analysis: Country
Company Analysis: Jobs Created by Year
Destination Market Analysis: City
Source Market Analysis: Country (2003-2009)
