UAE-Lebanon Business Council Revived as Private-Sector Ties Rebuild

The Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon to establish a Joint UAE-Lebanon Business Council. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the UAE-Lebanon Business Forum in Beirut, a two-day event that concluded on 27 August 2026. Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Vice Chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers and Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, signed for the UAE side with Mohamed Choucair, Chairman of the Lebanese federation.

The mechanism itself is not new. The UAE and Lebanese chambers signed an agreement in Beirut in 2008 to establish an Emirati-Lebanese Business Council. The current initiative revives that framework as the two countries rebuild economic engagement after several years of strained relations. Plans to establish a joint business council were also agreed during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's visit to Abu Dhabi in 2025.

What the council is meant to do

The council is intended to provide an institutional platform for the two private sectors to exchange market intelligence and expertise, identify trade and investment opportunities, and develop partnerships and joint ventures. It is also expected to help identify priority sectors, support joint economic initiatives, and create more direct channels between businesses and investors in both markets.

Following the forum, the council held its inaugural meeting. WAM reported that the meeting was co-chaired by Dr Hamad Buamim for the UAE side and Waseem Daher for the Lebanese side. Members discussed a work plan covering investment opportunities, sector-specific business forums, and barriers affecting bilateral trade and investment flows.

Wider forum outcomes

Several other agreements were reported in connection with the forum. These included cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, as well as two MoUs involving Elite Agro Holding. One covered cooperation with the American University of Beirut on food security, arid agriculture research and agritech innovation. The other involved Georges Daccache & Sons and covered greenhouse solutions and related technical cooperation.

Separately, Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that it had signed a cooperation and twinning agreement with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Zahle and the Bekaa on the sidelines of the forum. The agreement is intended to expand business and investment links between companies in Ras Al Khaimah and Lebanon.

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, led the official UAE delegation to Lebanon.

What this means for businesses

For UAE-based companies and SMEs considering opportunities in Lebanon, a formal business council can provide an additional channel for finding market information, identifying potential counterparties, and understanding sector-specific opportunities.

That does not remove the commercial and financial risks associated with entering the market. The World Bank's August 2026 Lebanon Economic Monitor said the country's banking sector remained deeply weakened, while inflation, reconstruction needs and conflict-related disruption continued to weigh on the economy. Regulatory, banking, payment and operating conditions therefore still need to be checked independently before making cross-border commitments.

The council is better understood as an institutional channel for business engagement than as a guarantee of easier market access. Its practical importance will depend on how regularly it convenes, what sector initiatives it develops, and whether those activities lead to sustained commercial cooperation between companies in the two countries.

Key Takeaways

• The UAE and Lebanese chamber federations signed an MoU during the UAE-Lebanon Business Forum in Beirut to establish a Joint UAE-Lebanon Business Council, reviving a mechanism first created in 2008.
• The council is intended to support information exchange, trade and investment opportunities, business partnerships and direct engagement between the two private sectors.
• Dr Hamad Buamim and Waseem Daher co-chaired the council's inaugural meeting, where members discussed investment facilitation, sector-focused forums and barriers affecting bilateral business.
• Other agreements linked to the forum covered chamber cooperation, food security, agricultural research, agritech, greenhouse solutions and a separate Ras Al Khaimah-Zahle and Bekaa chamber partnership.
• Businesses should treat the council as a networking and information channel and continue to verify regulatory, banking and market conditions independently.

Sources: WAM – UAE-Lebanon Business Forum, WAM – UAE Chambers Business Council Agreement, WAM – RAK Chamber Agreement, The National, World Bank.

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