DOING BUSINESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST Challenges and Opportunities

Major Deterioration of the Situation Political & Economical Climate Major Deterioration of the Situation War in different areas and outburst of terrorism Refugee situation out of control Attempted coup in Turkey Currency devaluation in Egypt and Turkey and scarcity of foreign currencies Sharp decrease in oil and commodities prices, reduction in public spending & tight liquidity Return of protectionism and commercial barriers; BREXIT and US Elections Uncertainty, volatility

Business Environment Obstacles to Trade Lack of transparency & difficulty in obtaining buyer information Challenging structure of corporates Inefficiency of the legal systems and lack of strong commercial laws Specific market risks and their impact, the UAE situation New requirements for compliance

Corporate Challenges The current environment is pushing Companies of all sizes to innovate and look for alternative markets to expand their sales. Companies are now looking for tools to secure their transactions and mitigate their risks. Companies are seeking additional financing to back their growth and build resilience.

Credit insurance

The Lebanese Credit Insurer SAL Overview First independent specialised Credit Insurance Company in Lebanon and the Middle East, established in 2001. LCI covers domestic & export trade receivables, Committed to support SMEs expanding their business within and from the MENA Region by providing them with innovative trade receivables management solutions ranging from trade credit insurance to credit information, debt collection and trade finance” Croatia Serbia Cyprus Syria Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Bahrain Qatar Egypt UAE 27 people specialising in all aspects of trade credit receivables management USD 2.6 billion turnover covered USD 1.1 billion active commitments Covering exports to more than 100 countries worldwide KSA Oman Nigeria