November 4, 2026
Beirut – “Al-Akhbar” newspaper:
The International Financial Action Task Force (FATF), in its report issued on October 30, 2026, kept Lebanon on the gray list of countries subject to enhanced supervision in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Despite recording some “positive steps,” the group is still calling on Beirut to address ten basic imbalances in its financial, judicial and supervisory system, which are items identified by the action plan drawn up since Lebanon was included on the list in October 2024.
The continuation of this classification comes despite the measures and decisions taken by the Lebanese authority in response to international and American requirements, which opens the door to questions about the feasibility of the government policies followed. On the other hand, the “FATF” group announced on the same date (October 2026) the exit of four countries from the gray list: Bulgaria, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Monaco. It is noteworthy that Ivory Coast was included in the same classification as Lebanon in October 2024 and succeeded in leaving after two years, while Lebanon remained included despite the group’s recognition of the improvement steps it had taken. This paradox raises questions about the existence of political goals behind the continued international and American financial and economic pressure on Lebanon, and the extent to which its remaining on the list is linked to calculations that go beyond the declared technical standards. It should be noted that the gray list means that the country is subject to strict international monitoring for the presence of strategic gaps in its systems to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, with its commitment to implementing a reform plan within specific deadlines.
Regarding local banking, the Bank of Lebanon circulated to its employees the suspension of medical approvals and coverage in the “Great Messenger” and “Lebanese Medical Center (LMC)” hospitals, shifting the cost of any expenses in these two institutions to the employees. According to the circular, requests for medical approval related to the two aforementioned hospitals were rejected, and beneficiaries were asked to coordinate with their doctors to transfer any hospital admissions, surgeries, or scheduled treatments to other hospitals within the bank’s approved network.
On another level, the Bank of Lebanon issued a decision to raise the ceiling on monthly withdrawals for depositors benefiting from Circulars 158 and 166. The ceiling becomes $600 for beneficiaries of Circular 166 (of which $200 is withdrawn via the bank card), and $1,200 for beneficiaries of Circular 158 (of which $400 is withdrawn via card).
