Beirut Business Forum will hold its inaugural edition in April as Lebanon looks to reassert itself as a hub for regional dialogue amid ongoing economic and political challenges.
The two-day forum will take place on April 8-9 at the Seaside Arena in Beirut and is expected to draw business leaders, policymakers and thinkers from the Middle East and beyond, according to organisers.
Speakers announced for the first edition include former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, Chalhoub Group executive chairman Patrick Chalhoub, former Cisco Canada chief executive Rola Dagher, author and former Google executive Mo Gawdat, Brightstar Capital partner Marcelo Claure, digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush and US real estate developer Mohamed Hadid.
Forum seeks fresh economic perspectives
Organisers said the forum aims to move beyond traditional conference formats and will instead focus on curated discussions around leadership, innovation, culture and long-term economic transformation in the region.
The launch comes as Lebanon continues to grapple with a prolonged financial crisis that has sharply reduced investment and weakened state institutions, while neighbouring Gulf countries push ahead with ambitious economic diversification programmes.
Founder Bassem El Jisr said holding the event in Beirut was a deliberate choice as he looks to position the city as a place for forward-looking debate despite its challenges.
“Beirut has always been a place where ideas are born, challenged and transformed,” El Jisr said in a statement. “This forum is about rethinking leadership and how collective progress can be shaped in a region undergoing profound change.”
The Beirut Business Forum said it would target senior executives, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders from the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean in an effort to bridge global perspectives with regional experience.
Licensed by Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy, the forum is operated by Bridging Minds SAL and is backed by a team with experience across business, governance and the creative industries, organisers said.
The event adds to a growing calendar of regional business gatherings as cities across the Middle East compete to attract capital, talent and influence, with Beirut aiming to reclaim a role it once played as a crossroads for commerce, ideas and culture.
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