Swiss Business Council-Lebanon

What Swiss Business Council-Lebanon does

Swiss Business Council-Lebanon (SBC-L) is a private non-profit bilateral business council headquartered in Beirut, established to strengthen economic and trade relations between Switzerland and Lebanon. Its core function is membership-based facilitation: connecting Swiss multinationals and their Lebanese counterparts through networking events, gala dinners, bilateral conferences, B2B meetings, and trade-related seminars. The council serves a diversified base of more than 80 member companies spanning pharmaceuticals (Novartis, Roche), banking (Banque Audi, BLOM), watches (Audemars Piguet), medical equipment, food & beverage (Nestlé, Mövenpick), construction materials, and professional services. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors (currently in its Seventh Administrative Board under President Malek El-Khoury, elected April 23, 2025) and operates with a small team of about 5 employees.

SBC-L does not develop or sell technology products. Its service surface consists of member events, conferences, the sbc-l.com website, social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn), email communications, and recurring programs such as the Swiss Pavilion at the Project Lebanon exhibition. Its business model is non-profit and not publicly disclosed; revenues are understood to derive from membership contributions and event-related income, though no figures are published. The council holds close institutional ties to the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon, which provides patronage and ambassador-level participation, and maintains partnerships with the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Geneva (CCIG), Saint Joseph University, and IFP Group (Project Lebanon Fair).

Strategic positioning is that of the only dedicated Swiss-Lebanese bilateral chamber, leveraging diplomatic endorsement and a curated multi-sector member base as its primary differentiators. Notable past events include the 2018 'Suisse-Liban: Opportunités d'Affaires' seminar in Geneva, the annual gala dinners, and sector-specific panels on crisis financing, blockchain, waste management, and family business succession. Founder year is reported as 2005 in firmographic data and 2010 in the timeline; the organization has been continuously active for over 15 years.

Name

Swiss Business Council-Lebanon

Legal name

Swiss Business Council-Lebanon

Website

https://sbc-l.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss Business Council-Lebanon (SBC-L) is a non-profit bilateral business council headquartered in Beirut that facilitates economic and trade relations between Switzerland and Lebanon, serving more than 80 member companies across pharmaceuticals, banking, watches, and consumer goods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SBC-L is a non-profit bilateral business council that facilitates economic and trade relations between Switzerland and Lebanon. It operates as a membership-based association connecting Swiss multinationals and Lebanese businesses through networking events, conferences, business-to-business meetings, gala dinners, trade missions, and seminars. The council serves as a platform for member companies across pharmaceuticals, banking, medical equipment, watches, food & beverage, and professional services to network, collaborate, and explore bilateral business opportunities.

Product overview

The Swiss Business Council-Lebanon (SBC-L) is a business networking organization, not a product company. It functions as a membership-based council that facilitates economic and trade relations between Switzerland and Lebanon. The organization connects Swiss and Lebanese businesses through events, conferences, business-to-business meetings, and networking gatherings. It does not offer a standalone product or software service; instead, it provides a platform for its member companies—which span diverse sectors including pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, watches, banking, food & beverage, construction materials, and technology—to network, collaborate, and explore business opportunities between the two countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBC-L Membership Program A membership-based association providing Swiss and Lebanese companies access to a network of more than 80 member companies across pharmaceuticals, banking, medical equipment, watches, food & beverage, and professional services. Membership enables trade facilitation, networking, business development, knowledge sharing, and advocacy for Swiss-Lebanese commercial relations.
• Annual Gala Dinner A signature annual flagship event of SBC-L that brings together members, diplomats, and business leaders, organized in the presence of the Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon. The 2022 edition was held on December 7, 2022 in presence of Swiss Ambassador Dr. Marion Weichelt, and the 2025 edition is scheduled for December 24, 2025.
• Suisse-Liban: Opportunités d'Affaires Seminar A bilateral business seminar held in Geneva in September 2018, organized jointly with the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Geneva (CCIG), promoting trade and investment opportunities between Switzerland and Lebanon.
• Swiss Pavilion at Project Lebanon Fair An annual exhibition pavilion organized by SBC-L at the Project Lebanon trade fair in partnership with IFP Group, providing a platform for member companies to showcase products and services, including environmental technologies and sustainable development solutions featured in the Green Hall.
• SBC-L Discussion Panels on Crisis Financing A knowledge-sharing discussion panel titled 'Financing in Times of Crisis' organized on May 24, 2023 in collaboration with the Faculty of Business Administration and Management of Saint Joseph University (USJ), addressing economic challenges facing member companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizes regular events including annual gala dinners, conferences, networking gatherings, and trade-related seminars.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Swiss Embassy in LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SBC-L works closely with the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon as a key strategic partner. The Embassy provides patronage and support for SBC-L events, facilitates diplomatic-level connections, and helps promote Swiss-Lebanese economic relations. The Ambassador actively participates in council activities and events.
• Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Geneva (CCIG)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on bilateral business seminars and conferences such as the 'Suisse-Liban: Opportunités d'Affaires' seminar held in Geneva in September 2018, promoting trade and investment opportunities between Switzerland and Lebanon.
• Saint Joseph University (USJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the Faculty of Business Administration and Management of Saint Joseph University to organize discussion panels on topics such as 'Financing in Times of Crisis'.
• IFP Group (Project Lebanon Fair)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSBC-L has organized the Swiss Pavilion at the annual Project Lebanon exhibition, providing a platform for member companies to showcase products and services. The Swiss Pavilion was featured in the Green Hall, promoting environmental technologies and sustainable development solutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• British Lebanese Business Association: Bilateral UK-Lebanon business membership body organizing networking events and trade dialogue for British and Lebanese firms. Closely analogous to SBC-L in mission (bilateral trade facilitation, embassy-anchored advocacy, member events).
• Italian Chamber of Commerce in Lebanon: Italian bilateral chamber operating in Beirut with member services and B2B matchmaking between Italian and Lebanese companies. Runs a similar model - embassy-aligned, event-driven, member-funded - and competes for the same multinational executives.
• Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce: Bilateral Swiss-US chamber and one of the largest Swiss foreign chambers globally. Provides a benchmark for the upper-bound operating model SBC-L could aspire to: large-scale events, cross-Atlantic trade missions, executive education, and corporate sponsorship programs tied to the embassy network.
• Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce: Another bilateral Swiss-chamber operating from Switzerland, focused on Swiss-Indian commercial relations via networking, delegations, and trade support. Useful structural comparator for how SBC-L could evolve its Swiss-side programming and member services over time.
• AmCham Lebanon (American Chamber of Commerce in Lebanon): Bilateral US-Lebanon business membership organization offering networking events, advocacy, and policy dialogue to multinational and local corporates in Lebanon. Competes with SBC-L for the same pool of multinational executives and Lebanese firms looking for international network access.
• CCI France Liban (French-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry): The longest-standing bilateral business chamber in Lebanon, run on the same member-fee + event + trade-mission model as SBC-L but anchored on France rather than Switzerland. Serves an overlapping audience of multinationals, Lebanese importers, and professional services firms seeking cross-Mediterranean commercial access.
• Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Geneva (CCIG): CCIG is already a flagship strategic partner of SBC-L (running the 'Suisse-Liban: Opportunités d'Affaires' seminar) and operates as a general-purpose Swiss chamber with international programming. It is the most directly comparable bilateral-adjacent institution from the Swiss side.

Broad incumbents

• Federation of Lebanese Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (FCCIAL): The umbrella federation representing all sectoral and regional Lebanese chambers. Provides broad domestic networking, trade documentation, and government advocacy that overlaps with SBC-L's trade facilitation remit, though at a national rather than bilateral scope.
• Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI): Lebanon's principal industrialists' association, representing manufacturers across sectors including many SBC-L member segments (pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, food & beverage). Provides overlapping networking, advocacy, and policy voice, though from an industrialist rather than bilateral-trade perspective.

Regional players

• German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Ghorfa): Bilateral Euro-Arab business chamber focused on Germany and the Arab world, including Lebanon. Operates larger-scale delegations and trade fairs than SBC-L, but addresses a closely analogous use case: European corporates seeking structured entry into Arab markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/160330417359521
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-business-council-lebanon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Swiss Business Council-Lebanon