Lebanon’s industrial sector has been at the forefront of innovation and technology adoption, driving major breakthroughs and providing the nation with key competitive advantages on the global stage. Indeed, many of Lebanon’s fast-moving startups have put forward cutting-edge technologies and solutions that have helped shape industries and even disrupt their own markets. In addition, various multinationals continue to outsource part of their production to Lebanon, leveraging the nation’s innovative and adaptable labor force.

Lebanon is renowned for its vibrant, resilient, and competitive industries such as its agri-food, ICT, media, high-tech manufacturing, and creative industries, which have registered global success over the years. Indeed, the nation’s adaptability and the dynamism of its key industries have resulted in made-in-Lebanon products becoming widely spread across the globe and achieving significant expansion levels.

Despite local and international challenges, Lebanese exports have been growing at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4% during the 2015–2020 period, fueled by continuous demand from the Lebanese diaspora, as well as from global buyers.

With direct access to the Mediterranean Sea and in close proximity to the Arabian Gulf, North African, and EU markets, Lebanon is geographically positioned to serve as a springboard for the region.

Exporting high-quality services and products from Lebanon to the growing population of neighboring countries is easy and cost-effective, as the nation has signed more than 25 bilateral trade agreements and four strategic, multilateral, free trade agreements with key commercial partners.

Lebanon’s economic growth has always been driven by its diverse, multilingual (bilingual or trilingual), highly-adaptable, and highly-skilled labor force, which has demonstrated its capacity to create value, drive productivity, compete, and innovate across markets and sectors. The nation’s universities – some which rank among the region’s top institutions – are the backbone of this workforce, facilitating collaborations between the educational sector, research centers, the private sector, and government institutions.

In addition, Lebanon’s workforce has proven to be remarkably resilient, providing certainty during times of uncertainty. Its labor force continuously innovates despite local, regional, and even global challenges, such as the  impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, Lebanon offers an innovative pool of talent with high-level expertise and who continue to provide top-tier skills and services at competitive prices.