Lebanon's FDI increased 20% in 2009

Beirut: Foreign direct investment in Lebanon increased by 20 per cent last year to $4.3 billion (Dh15.7 billion), Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammad Safadi said.

"Despite the global fin-ancial crisis, Lebanon has succeeded in maintaining a positive growth rate through coordinated econ-omic, financial and monetary policies," Safadi said in an emailed statement.

He said capital inflows exceeded $18 billion last year, up 24 per cent from 2008, and the country posted a balance of payments surplus of more than $6 billion.