EVENT SYNOPSIS
On 12th December 2018, over 500 delegates joined us at Savoy Place in London for the Lebanon-UK Business & Investment Forum. This inaugural forum, organised on behalf of and in partnership with the Embassy of Lebanon in the UK, saw HE Saad Hariri, President of the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister of Lebanon, visit the UK with several of his key political decision makers and officials.
They day started with opening remarks by HE Rami Mortada, Ambassador of Lebanon to the UK, The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, Minister for Middle East at the FCO, HM Trade Commissioner for the Middle East, Sir Simon Penney, standing in for George Hollingbery MP, and HE Gebran Bassil, the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs.
HE Saad Hariri, President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon then delivered the keynote address of the forum focusing on the bilateral relationship between the two countries and the increasing and potential business ties that the forum hoped to foster.
The first session of the day provided a panel discussion on the Paris CEDRE Conference, the aims of the Lebanese Government in seeing through the promises of that event and how they have (and will continue to) benefit the country.
The forum then followed with plenary sessions covering the Government’s Capital Investment Plan, the nature of PPPs in Lebanon and how they can achieve substantial results, the opportunities in the burgeoning oil and gas sector and finally the partnership between Lebanon and the UK.
We would like to thank our sponsors without whom this event could not have taken place; Byblos Bank, BCTC, Blom Bank, Norton Rose Fulbright and Middle East Airlines (MEA)
PROGRAMME
0800-0900: Registration and Refreshments
0900-0930: Opening Session
Welcome Addresses:
• HE Rami Mortada, Lebanon's Ambassador to the United Kingdom
• 
The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State for International Development and Minister of State for the Middle East, Foreign
• Sir Simon Penney, HM Trade Commissioner for the Middle East (standing in for George Hollingbery MP, Minister of State for Trade
0930-0945: Opening Address:
• HE Gebran Bassil, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Lebanon
0945-0950: Short Film - Tourism - The Best of Lebanon
0950-1010: Keynote Speech:
• HE Saad Hariri, President of the Council of Ministers, Lebanon
1010-1015: Signing Ceremony: MEA and Rolls Royce
1015-1115: Session I: The Paris CEDRE Conference and the Vision of the Lebanese Government for Stabilization, Growth, and Employment
Chair: Dr Nazia M Habib, Programme Director & Senior Research Associate, Resilience and Sustainable Development Programme, University of Cambridge
• HE Pierre Duquesne, Ambassador, Interministerial delegate for the Mediterranean-Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France
• HE Ibrahim Kanaan MP, Chair of Finance and Budget Committee, Lebanese Parliament
• Dr Nadim Munla, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister
• Chris Jarvis, Assistant Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF
• David Hallam, Director MENA, Department for International Development
Q&A Session
1115-1145: Refreshments
1145-1245: Session II: The Capital Investment Program
Chair: Nina Dos Santos, Europe Editor, CNN
• Nabil El-Jisr, President, Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR)
• Wissam Harake, Senior Economist, World Bank
• Heike Ruettgers, Head of Division; Neighbouring Countries Department, European Investment Bank (EIB)
Q&A Session
1245-1345: Networking Lunch
1345-1445: Session III: Public Private Partnerships in Lebanon - Investing in Infrastructure and Financing Modalities
Chair: Fouad Trad, CEO, Byblos Europe
• Ziad Hayek, Secretary General of the High Council for Privatization and PPP
• Mazen Alsad, Principle Investment Officer, PPP Transaction Advisory for MENA region, IFC
• Matthew Jordan Tank, Head of Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation, EBRD
• Jean Riachi, CEO, FFA
Q&A Session
1445-1515: Refreshments
1515-1520: Short Film - Investing in Renewable Energy
1520-1600: Session IV: Investment Opportunities in the Oil and Gas Sector
Chair: The Rt Hon Lord Howell, Chair, House of Lords Foreign Affairs Committee
• HE Cesar Abi Khalil, Minister of Energy and Water, Lebanon
• Walid Nasr, Chairman, Lebanese Petroleum Administration
• Ricardo Darré, Deputy General Manager, Total E&P Liban
Q&A Session
1600-1645: Spotlight on the Lebanon-UK Partnership
Chair: Joumanna Bercetche, Journalist, CNBC
• HE Raed Khoury, Minister of Economy and Trade, Lebanon
• HE Yassine Jaber MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Lebanese Parliament
HMA Chris Rampling, UK’s Ambassador to Lebanon
Richard Simon-Lewis, Head of Business and Development, UKEF
Q&A Session
1645-1730: Discussion with HE Riad Salameh, Governor, Central Bank of Lebanon
Chair: Joumanna Bercetche, Journalist, CNBC
1730-1900: Gala Reception
