October 15, 2026
Lebanese brands and restaurants spread abroad are facing a severe test in light of increasing economic pressures and regional tensions, despite their historical success in becoming one of the most prominent economic success stories and transferring expertise to Arab and international markets.
In this context, the recent period witnessed the closure of a number of prominent branches of well-established Lebanese restaurants, including “Karam Beirut” in Saudi Arabia, “Maroush” in London, “Sultan Ibrahim” in Kuwait, and “The Cedar” in Britain, which raised questions about whether the sector is facing individual cases or a crisis that threatens this spread.
In a remarkable development, private information revealed to the “Lebanon Debate” website from Lebanese restaurant owners in Saudi Arabia, that some investors were forced, for the first time, to transfer money from Lebanon to support their operations in the Kingdom and protect their investments, after foreign markets historically constituted “oxygen” and a financial outlet to confront internal crises.
For his part, the head of the Lebanese Franchise Licensing Association, Yahya Qasaa, explained that the closure of some branches does not amount to a wave of mass withdrawals, but rather falls within individual cases that include reducing operations or freezing expansion projects. Qasaa pointed out that the business numbers of some institutions have declined by between 20 and 25% since the beginning of the year, warning of the danger of simultaneous internal crises that raise costs and inflation with external challenges such as rising energy prices and disruption of supply chains. He also pointed out that Gulf investments are witnessing a state of caution and the absence of large deals, expecting companies to resort to repositioning and closing specific locations to control expenses during the coming months.
On the other hand, the Vice President of the Syndicate of Restaurant, Cafe, Nightclub and Patisserie Owners in Lebanon, Khaled Nozha, confirmed that the closures do not reflect a general crisis, stressing that Lebanon is now exporting various brands and investment concepts, not just traditional restaurants. Nazha explained that the main challenge lies in maintaining employees and the quality of services, ruling out the existence of a widespread wave of closures and stressing that the return of stability will restore momentum to the sector.
Between individual closures, accumulated pressures, rising costs, and investor caution, the Lebanese external deployment sector remains facing a delicate stage that requires a strategic re-evaluation of the ability to withstand and continue the global presence.
