Live
06:20 Lebanon Visiting envoys warn Beirut against being dragged into a new war 06:20 Economy Industry minister courts French employers to build factories in Lebanon 06:20 Security & Justice US trafficking report keeps Lebanon on Tier 2, citing progress and gaps 06:20 Politics Hezbollah MPs warn of an 'explosion' and attack the state as 'subservient' 06:20 Security & Justice Army finds no weapons in Fanar tunnel; mayor says diggers sought gold 06:20 Lebanon Arab League chief opposes ending UNIFIL and heads to the south 06:20 Politics Jumblatt: Hezbollah has no right to reclaim seized explosives 06:20 Lebanon From the fields to the presses: Al Jadeed follows the journey of southern olives 06:20 Lebanon Al-Sayed visits Syria for the first time; return of displaced Syrians tops the agenda 06:20 Lebanon The Political Scene | What will the Army bring to Tampa? 06:20 Lebanon Hany Ramzy in a bold first: Ahmed Helmy is smarter than me and Mohamed Henedy, and neither of them is my rival 06:20 Lebanon Lebanon: who will be eligible for Hezbollah's housing aid plan? • RFI 06:20 Lebanon Lebanese family sues OpenAI after 15-year-old son's death, alleging failure to protect him 03:54 Lebanon A Lebanese Druze citizen 'worth a million men' reveals serious issues about Hezbollah 03:54 Security & Justice Watch: the Lebanese Army strikes with an iron fist in the heart of the southern suburbs

File photo — Photo: Karan Jain from Washington, DC, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Corruption & Governance

Central bank weighs raising withdrawal limits: 'reserves belong to depositors'

BDL sources say a decision could come before the holidays as living costs soar.

By Lebanese Lobby Newsdesk 18 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
العربيةEnglishEspañolFrançaisPortuguês中文

Banque du Liban is considering raising the withdrawal limits set under Circulars 158 and 166, sources at the central bank told LBCI. Any increase needs a decision by BDL's Central Council, based on how much cash it wants in the market.

The sources said the aim is to help families cope with an "unprecedented rise" in living costs, especially fuel and school fees, and that a decision could come "at the appropriate time", possibly before the holiday season.

They also stressed that the reserves held at BDL are not the central bank's own money but ultimately depositors' money, and that returning it "is not a favour from anyone". Six years after the 2019 collapse, depositors are still waiting for a full plan to recover their savings.

Know more about this story?

Send us information, photos or video. Our editors verify every submission.

Contribute

More · Corruption & Governance

Corruption & Governance

UN aviation review finds safety gaps at Beirut airport, delaying US flights

Reuters reports the ICAO findings could slow Washington's plan to restore direct flights.

6 h ago ✓ Verified
Corruption & Governance

Officials weigh a $2 billion loan plan funded from central bank reserves

A working paper seen by Asharq Al-Awsat would lend to households and industry while depositors still wait.

18 Oct 2026

Comments · 0

💬0 · Reply