Lebanese Swiss Bank

What Lebanese Swiss Bank does

Lebanese Swiss Bank (LSB) is a privately held Lebanese commercial bank founded in 1962 and headquartered in Beirut's Hamra district. The bank operates ten branches across Lebanon, including in Adonis, Broumana, Dora, Hadath, Jounieh, Mazraa, Rabieh, Tripoli, and Tyr, supported by a free e-banking platform, a contact center, and a network of correspondent banks across Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the USA. Following its 1988 management buyout from Credit Suisse, LSB grew to an Alpha-rated franchise with a balance sheet approaching $2.5 billion by end of 2018.

The bank's product set spans four pillars: Corporate Banking (SME financing through Kafalat Basic, Key Project, BDL-subsidized loans, trade finance instruments such as letters of credit and guarantees, and commercial loans); Personal Banking (current, sight saving, salary domiciliation, and term deposit accounts; car, personal, educational, and BDL/PIH/Expat housing loans; Visa Classic/Gold/Infinite revolving credit, charge, and debit cards); Private Banking (brokerage and dealing-room services covering global equities, derivatives, FX, bonds, and commodities); and Bancassurance distributed under an exclusive partnership with Allianz SNA (retirement, education, motor, personal accident, and term life products). Visa Infinite cardholders also receive AIG Lebanon travel insurance up to USD 2 million.

LSB generates revenue primarily through net interest income on its loan book (rates ranging from ~4% on USD educational/expat loans up to 15% on personal loans), fee and commission income on trade finance, cards, foreign exchange, and account services, and referral fees from Allianz SNA insurance distribution. Pricing follows market-typical structures with USD-denominated loans for vehicles, housing, and expat finance, and LBP-denominated BDL-subsidized products. The bank is led by Chairman and General Manager Dr. Tanal Sabbah with a board overseeing Audit, Risk Management, Compliance, and Remuneration committees, and employs 101-250 staff across its branch and head office network.

Name

Lebanese Swiss Bank

Legal name

Lebanese Swiss Bank SAL

Website

https://lebaneseswissbank.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lebanese Swiss Bank is a privately held Lebanese commercial bank founded in 1962, operating ten branches across Lebanon and serving retail, SME, corporate, and private banking clients with deposits, loans, trade finance, cards, and Allianz-distributed insurance products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

Commercial Banks, Nec (6029)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking Cross-Border & International Wealth Services (FSABADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affluent / Mass-Affluent Private Banking (FSABADAC), Onshore Private Banking (Domestic HNW/UHNW) (FSAAABAA)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Corporate banking
• Private banking
• Wealth management
• Consumer lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: The bank generates primary revenue from interest on various loan products including housing loans (BDL Housing Loan at 5.94%, PIH at 5.5%, Expat at 4.25%), car loans (6-8% flat rates), personal loans (14-15%), educational loans (4-5%), commercial loans, and Key Project financing (5.9% yearly reviewed).
2. Fee-Based Services: Revenue from account maintenance fees, transaction fees, check processing, foreign exchange transactions, trade finance services (letters of credit, documentary credits, guarantees), and brokerage services in private banking.
3. Bancassurance Products: Partnership with Allianz SNA for insurance products including retirement plans, education plans, motor insurance, personal accident insurance, and term life insurance. The bank earns referral fees from these products.
4. Credit Card Operations: Revenue from credit card interest, annual fees (USD 45 for Visa Internet Charge Card), cash withdrawal fees, and interchange fees on Visa Classic, Gold, and Infinite credit and debit cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lebanese Swiss Bank SAL is a private Lebanese commercial bank that provides personal (retail) banking, corporate banking, and private banking services to individuals and businesses in Lebanon. Its products span deposit accounts, consumer and corporate lending, trade and working capital finance, wealth management for high-net-worth clients, bancassurance distribution, and card operations. Revenue is earned primarily through interest income on lending, banking service fees, insurance commissions, and card-related transactions, with distribution through a network of approximately 10-20 branches nationwide.

Product overview

Lebanese Swiss Bank (LSB) operates as a traditional commercial bank offering a unified banking platform with distinct service divisions. The product portfolio consists of four core service lines: Corporate Banking (SME financing programs including Key Project, Kafalat Basic, BDL Subsidized Loans; trade finance services; commercial loans), Personal Banking (deposit accounts, loan products including car/personal/educational/housing loans, Visa card suite including Classic/Gold/Infinite variants, and bancassurance products), Private Banking (wealth management with brokerage, research, and global market products), and E-Banking (digital banking platform). The bank also provides specialized loan products supported by government programs (BDL Circular 547 exceptional loans) and international correspondent banking services. All services are offered through a network of 20 branches across Lebanon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Banking (Retail Banking)
• Corporate Banking
• Private Banking
• Bancassurance
• Card Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• Balance sheet approaching $2.5 Billion by end of 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• KafalatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKafalat provides guarantee coverage for SME loans offered by LSB. Under the Kafalat Basic program, Kafalat guarantees 75% of the loan amount, enabling SMEs with insufficient traditional collateral to secure financing. Interest rates are subsidized by the Central Bank up to 4.5% over a maximum period of 7 years. The partnership covers fixed asset financing, working capital, machinery, equipment, and raw materials for SMEs.
• Allianz SNA s.a.lcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBancassurance partnership offering insurance products including Retirement Saving Plan (with 3.5% minimum guaranteed annual return), Education Plan, Motor Insurance Plan, Personal Accident Plan, and Term Life Plan. LSB acts as distribution channel earning referral fees. The partnership combines LSB's customer base with Allianz's insurance expertise.
• Jordan Ahli Bank PLC (Jordan)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship providing banking services in Jordan. LSB also has a correspondent relationship with Jordan Ahli Bank in Limassol, Cyprus.
• Unicredit Bank AG (Germany)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship in Munich, Germany, enabling international banking services and transactions.
• Intesa Sanpaolo SPA (Italy)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship in Milan, Italy for international transaction processing.
• Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria SA (Spain)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship in Madrid, Spain for international banking services.
• Banco Sabadell (Spain)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship in Sabadell, Spain.
• People's Bank (Sri Lanka)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• The Bank of New York Mellon (USA)supportingOthersCorrespondent banking relationship in New York, USA for US dollar transactions and international settlements.
• AIG Lebanon S.A.LsupportingOthersTravel insurance provider for Visa Infinite card holders, offering coverage up to USD 1,000,000 for emergency medical expenses and USD 2,000,000 for evacuation and repatriation.
• Visa InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationCard issuing partnership providing Visa Classic, Visa Gold, and Visa Infinite credit cards, charge cards, and debit cards. LSB offers exclusive benefits including concierge services, travel insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and VIP lounge access through the Visa Infinite program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Byblos Bank: Top-tier Lebanese bank with similar retail, SME, and corporate banking focus plus a meaningful branch network. Closely comparable on SME financing programs, retail loan products, and correspondent banking footprint.
• Bank Audi: Largest private Lebanese bank by assets, operating the same full-service retail, corporate, private banking, and trade finance model across Lebanon and the region. Directly comparable on product breadth, geographic footprint within Lebanon, and correspondent banking model.
• Fransabank: Major Lebanese bank with retail, corporate, and private banking divisions and a broad regional footprint. Closely comparable on product suite and Lebanese market positioning.
• Bank of Beirut: Lebanese bank offering full retail, corporate, and private banking services with strong trade finance capabilities. Comparable on product breadth, customer targeting, and Lebanese market focus.
• BLOM Bank: Major Lebanese commercial bank with full retail, corporate, and private banking offerings plus regional presence. Direct peer on product mix, Lebanese deposit franchise, and correspondent network — historically one of LSB's key competitors in private banking.
• Credit Libanais: Mid-sized Lebanese commercial bank with retail and SME focus. Comparable in scale tier and in the mix of personal lending, cards, and SME financing.
• Banque Libano-Française: Mid-to-large Lebanese commercial bank serving retail, SME, and corporate segments with a comparable branch density. Direct peer in size tier, customer segmentation, and product portfolio structure.
• BEMO Bank: Lebanese universal bank serving retail, corporate, and private banking clients. Comparable on full-service product platform and Lebanese deposit-gathering franchise.

Broad incumbents

• Bank of Cyprus: Major Cypriot bank with historical Lebanese-linked operations (BankMed acquisition) and a broader European footprint. Overlaps with LSB on corporate banking and trade finance from a regional commercial banking perspective.
• Arab Bank: Pan-Arab commercial bank with a long-standing Lebanese subsidiary and significantly larger regional scale. Overlaps with LSB on corporate banking, trade finance, and correspondent services, but operates across the broader MENA region rather than as a Lebanon-only specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lebaneseswissbk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lebanese Swiss Bank