http://www.zawya.com/middle-east/financial-markets/beirut/en-usCopyright 2012 Zawya Ltd. All rights reserved.Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:45:20 GMT614476http://www.zawya.com/middle-east/financial-markets/beirut/http://www.zawya.com/images/newsletter_zawya_logo.gifhttp://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidDS13022012_dsart-163025/Banking_stock_profits_pick_up_Solideres_slackRecord profits at Lebanon?s listed banks are breathing new life into the country?s fading stock market. Profits rose 2 percent to $989 million at the five listed banks which reported full-year 2011 results, with the country?s biggest lender, Bank Audi, growing its profits by 3.7 percent to over $365 million despite the worst operating environment since 2006.Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:26:07 GMTThe Daily Star DS13022012_dsart-163025Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidpdf_070212144224/BMI_Lebanon_Information_Technology_Report_Jan12The total size of the Lebanese IT market in 2012 is forecast by BMI at US$350mn, up from US$315mnin 2011. BMI expects a market CAGR of 12% for 2012-2016. Lebanon's IT spending is forecast to recorddouble-digit growth in 2012 as the market consolidates the recovery from the impact of the economiccrisis.There are potential opportunities for IT vendors in sectors such as telecoms, banking, utilities, real estateand government, but much will depend on the political stabilisation necessary to implement economicreforms. Many uncertainties continue to surround the Lebanese IT market, with considerable latentpotential mitigated by an unstable political outlook and a mixed picture regarding economic policy.Lebanon's IT market is set to benefit from new investment in telecoms infrastructure in 2011, aimed atsignificantly scaling up the country's inadequate broadband facilities. Smaller business is a keyopportunity, as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a majority of Lebanon's 700,000businesses, although lack of access to financing is a barrier.Industry DevelopmentsLebanon faces a wide variety of challenges. These include infrastructure rebuilding, economic and socialstabilisation, restoring trust in politics and improvement of the security situation. There are also a numberof specific ICT challenges on the government's agenda, such as improving ICT infrastructure,overcoming the digital divide, investing in IT skills, making businesses more efficient through technologyand e-government.The Lebanese government is also implementing a comprehensive overhaul of thepublic healthcare system.In 2011, new bandwidth arrived in the Lebanon, via fibre-optic cable from Egypt and Cyprus. Efforts arealso under way to expand 3G mobile broadband to 80% to 90% of the country. It was estimated thatLebanese broadband capacity could potentially increase 250% as a result of these developments. In 2011,Telecoms Minister Charbel Nahhas caTue, 07 Feb 2012 14:39:00 GMTBusiness Monitor International Limited pdf_070212144224Subscriptionhttp://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidDS07022012_dsart-162424/Bank_of_Beirut_2011_profits_up_by_26_pct_from_2010The Bank of Beirut announced consolidated net profits of $103.4 million in 2011, up by 2.6 percent from $100.8 million in 2010.Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:53:51 GMTThe Daily Star DS07022012_dsart-162424Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidDS07022012_dsart-162405/Lebanon_banks_face_possible_row_with_employeesNegotiations over renewal of a collective contact that expired in 2010 could strain relations between Lebanese banks and employees after the suspension of talks prompted workers to lodge an official request for intervention by the Labor Ministry last Friday.Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:51:33 GMTThe Daily Star DS07022012_dsart-162405Open