Economy Minister Amer Bisat tells donors Lebanese GDP will see 5 percent growth in 2025

Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bisat welcomed representatives of donor countries and international organizations at the ministry on Wednesday, according to a statement released by his office Thursday morning.

Diplomats representing Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Kuwait and Canada attended the meeting, along with members of institutions such as the European Union, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Food Programme, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Development Programme and ESCWA.

"The meeting served as a platform to present progress achieved so far, highlight ongoing efforts, set support priorities, share projects and initiatives in preparation, and lay out a forward-looking vision for the Lebanese economy," the statement read.

The minister also expressed cautious optimism about the country's economic trajectory, noting that GDP is expected to grow by 5 percent in 2025—its "best performance since 2011."

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This estimate aligns with the World Bank's projection made last April, which anticipates a 4.7 percent GDP increase despite ongoing security instability and the financial crisis that has lasted since 2019.

In its latest quarterly report on the Lebanese economy, Bank Audi also forecast a 5 percent rise, while American ratings agency Standard & Poor's projected a more modest annual average of 2.3 percent for 2025-2026. The Banque du Liban (BDL, central bank) has not published its own projection but stated, in the release of its brand-new macroeconomic report, that it expects "modest growth," while the Ministry of Finance went as far as projecting a 7.5 percent GDP increase in its report attached to the draft 2026 budget.

The minister also mentioned his Beirut One conference project, which he plans to launch before the end of the year to convince investors from the diaspora and Arab countries of the opportunities offered by the Lebanese market — even though Lebanon has not made sufficient progress on reforms to convince the IMF to let it enroll in an assistance program.

The representatives present, for their part, "reaffirmed their support for Lebanon's recovery and reform agenda, confirming their willingness to work alongside the ministry to advance shared priorities."