Investment Development Authority of Lebanon

What Investment Development Authority of Lebanon does

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) is Lebanon's national investment promotion agency, established in 2001 under Investment Law No. 360 and operating under the guardianship of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. IDAL is a non-profit government institution that does not charge for its core services; instead, it attracts, facilitates, and retains investment by offering financial incentives to qualifying projects, including tax exemptions up to 10 years, a 50% reduction on work and residence permit fees, and free land registration. The agency serves three primary segments: national and foreign investors establishing or expanding operations in Lebanon, startups and innovators seeking advisory and licensing support, and Lebanese exporters pursuing international markets.

IDAL's product and service portfolio is structured around a One Stop Shop Directorate that consolidates licensing across agriculture, industry, telecom, tourism, and health, complemented by a Business Support Unit (BSU) launched in 2018 that delivers advisory services across three programs (Start Together, Plan Together, Grow Together). Sector-specific incentives cover ICT, Technology, Industry, and Agriculture, while export promotion is delivered through three programs: AGRO-MAP (international trade fair participation, launched 2004), AGRI-PLUS (financial and technical support for agricultural exporters, launched 2012), and M.LEB (maritime shipping subsidies to Arab countries, launched 2015). The BSU also facilitates access to Central Bank of Lebanon Circular 331 equity incentives for startups, incubators, and venture capital firms in the knowledge economy.

The technology backbone is a multilingual online portal (English, Arabic, French, Portuguese) offering appointment booking, application forms, downloadable guides, and explanatory video content covering business registration, employment contracts, and intellectual property protection. Distribution is direct and field-based, centered on the Beirut headquarters at Lazarieh Tower, supplemented by participation in international events such as GITEX. Strategic partnerships span the Central Bank of Lebanon, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Kafalat (loan guarantees up to USD 400,000), Berytech, Beirut Digital District, and Endeavor Lebanon, positioning IDAL as the public funnel through which private and institutional support flows to qualifying investors and exporters.

Name

Investment Development Authority of Lebanon

Legal name

Investment Development Authority of Lebanon

Website

https://investinlebanon.gov.lb

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

IDAL is Lebanon's national investment promotion agency under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, offering tax incentives, the Business Support Unit, and export promotion programs to attract investors, support startups, and help Lebanese exporters access international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Promotion Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Donor Coordination & Aid Effectiveness (BPADAOAA)

Keywords

• Investment promotion
• Foreign direct investment
• Investment incentives
• Business facilitation
• Sector development

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Operations: IDAL is a non-profit government institution reporting to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. It operates under Investment Law No. 360 and does not charge for basic investment promotion and facilitation services. The agency provides financial incentives (tax breaks, fee reductions) to qualifying investment projects rather than charging for its services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IDAL is Lebanon's national investment promotion agency. It markets Lebanon to foreign and local investors, administers statutory investment incentives (including tax and customs exemptions), provides a one-stop-shop for investment licensing and registration, and runs sector-specific support programs covering industry, agriculture, tourism, information technology, and media. It also delivers aftercare services to existing investors to encourage reinvestment and expansion.

Product overview

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) is Lebanon's national investment promotion agency operating under Investment Law No.360, reporting to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. IDAL provides a comprehensive suite of investment promotion and facilitation services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the Business Support Unit (BSU) which delivers advisory services across business planning, registration, licensing, and growth stages; sector-specific investment incentives for Agriculture, Industry, Technology, and ICT; and three export promotion programs (AGRI PLUS, AGRO MAP, and M.LEB) supporting Lebanese exporters. The One Stop Shop Directorate provides licensing facilitation across multiple sectors including agriculture, industry, telecom, tourism, and health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BSU (Business Support Unit): Business Support Unit providing start-ups and innovators with support needed to operate and grow, offering information, advice, and licensing services
• AGRI-PLUS Program
• AGRO MAP Program
• M.LEB (Maritime Bridge) Program

Products and services

• Investment Promotion and Marketing Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical and research partnership supporting agricultural sector development and export promotion activities
• KafalatsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial support partnership providing loan guarantees and financing schemes for SMEs in agriculture sector
• Ministry of IndustrysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for industrial sector development, licensing, and policy support
• Industrial Research Institute (IRI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical assistance and research support for industrial sector development
• BerytechsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology ecosystem partner providing incubation and acceleration support for tech startups
• Beirut Digital District (BDD)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness park partner offering attractive packages and rates for technology companies
• Endeavor LebanonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh-impact entrepreneurship support network operating in Lebanon
• USAID LIVCD ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS government funded project supporting rural tourism development and sector competitiveness

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AMDIE (Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency): Morocco's national agency combining investment promotion and export development functions, mirroring IDAL's combined mandate. Serves a MENA market with a similar Mediterranean economic profile and operates export support programs analogous to IDAL's AGRI-PLUS and AGRO-MAP.
• Invest Qatar: Qatar's investment promotion agency providing investor facilitation, sector incentives, and one-stop-shop services similar to IDAL. Comparable MENA regional mandate and government-backed structure make it a close direct peer.
• Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA): Saudi Arabia's national investment promotion agency with statutory authority to grant investment licenses and incentives across sectors. Functionally the most direct peer to IDAL given similar mandate, government reporting structure, and MENA focus, though at a far larger scale.
• Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA): Kuwait's national IPA with statutory authority to promote and facilitate foreign direct investment. Closely parallels IDAL in governance model (government-backed with statutory mandate) and MENA regional focus.
• Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB): Bahrain's national investment promotion body attracting FDI across financial services, ICT, logistics, and manufacturing. Operates with similar investment incentive toolkit and one-stop-shop model in the same MENA region as IDAL.
• General Authority for Free Zones and Investment (GAFI) Egypt: Egypt's national investment and free zones authority providing investment promotion, licensing, and incentive services. Most comparable in scope across sectors in an Arabic-speaking MENA market with similar legal/regulatory framework.

Others

• UNCTAD (World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies - WAIPA): The UN Conference on Trade and Development hosts WAIPA, the global body of which IDAL would be a member organization. Provides benchmarking, training, and best practices frameworks used by national IPAs including IDAL, making it an indirect enabler and ecosystem participant.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Singapore: Statutory board under Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry supporting enterprise growth and investment. Comparable institutional design (government agency promoting business setup, sector development, and export) though operating in a much more mature and stable economy.
• Bpifrance: France's public investment bank providing financing, guarantees, and investment promotion services. Comparable function in supporting SME and startup growth through government-backed instruments, though at vastly larger scale and with a commercial financial mandate IDAL lacks.

Regional players

• Invest in Turkey (Presidential Investment Office): Turkey's national investment promotion body attached to the presidency, with sector-specific incentives and a one-stop-shop approach. Comparable structural design but focused on a different regional market (Türkiye and Central Asia) rather than directly competing for Lebanon's investor pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Invest_Lebanon
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=fGsS55b-B7U
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/investment-development-authority-of-lebanon-idal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Investment Development Authority of Lebanon