Lebanon Opportunities – August 2019

I

n 2018, Lebanon recorded the largest
number of digital investment deals per
capita and per GDP among the countries
of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region, according to a recent report by
ArabNet. ArabNet is involved in research,
news, and the organization of events and
conferences in the fields of tech business and
innovation in the MENA region. The report,
titled ‘The State of Digital Investments in
MENA 2013-2018’, showed that 40 digital
start-up investment deals were concluded last
year in Lebanon, the same number recorded
in Egypt, the most populous Arab country.

percent to $28.3 million. In the MENA region

as a whole the value of deals increased one

percent to $674 million. The Gulf countries

and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in

particular, continue to enjoy the lion’s share

of digital business. “The

UAE continues to dominate

entrepreneurial activity

with the highest of share of

investors, number of deals,

and value of deals,” ArabNet

said. Nearly three quarters

of overall investment is

concentrated in the countries

VALUE VERSUS NUMBERS

The number of investment deals in digital

startups concluded in Lebanon in 2018

dropped 29 percent to 40 deals compared

with the previous year. The overall number

of deals in the MENA region

also dropped, falling by 17

percent to 255. Lebanon

ranked second in the region

in terms of the value of deals

per million people, and third

by GDP. The amount invested

through concluded deals

in Lebanon plunged by 48

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

INVESTMENT

20 LEBANON OPPORTUNITIES, AUGUST 2019

Lebanon has

the lowest

proportion of

failed startups

Highest success rate in the region

Growing appetite

for digital startups