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• Byblos Bank Revives Monot
• Byblos and Unicef join Forces to help public schools
• ADIR Insurance and Byblos Bank Reward Employees For their achievments in selling Bancassurance products
• Byblos Bank Kafalat Loans Visit the Lebanese TerritoriesVarious Lebanese Regions Show Interest in Kafalat and Small Business Loans Unit Activities
• Byblos Bank S.A.L and Muhanna Foundation Organize a Workshop on the Role of Disabled at Work
• "Plant a tree to preserve your roots”. Byblos Bank plants more than 200 cedars in the Chouf in the names of Lebanese Expatriates
• Byblos Bank donates computers
• Byblos Bank’s50th Anniversary CampaignWins Prestigious Award 
• Byblos Bank transforms the wall of LAU with Phoenician Statuettes 
 

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Byblos Bank Revives Monot
Beirut, Lebanon - September, 2007 

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Byblos and Unicef join Forces to help public schools
Beirut, Lebanon - May 4, 2006 

Life will soon be very different for the staff and pupils at Al Noor school in Al Mina, Tripoli and Sayyidat Al Niah school in Kesrouan after UNICEF and Byblos Bank announced a $200,000 three-year partnership program to help improve educational standards and facilities at the two public schools. In the process, Byblos Bank has become among the first private companies to join UNICEF’s Adopt-a-School initiative in Lebanon.

The partnership was announced today by Dr. Francois Bassil, Chairman and General Manager of Byblos Bank and Mr. Roberto Laurenti, the UNICEF Representative in Lebanon during a joint press conference held at Byblos Bank Tower in Ashrafieh. 

The initiative draws in expertise from UNICEF’s decades of work in education, the Ministry of Education and a number of other agencies to improve basic physical conditions in schools, enhance teacher and administrator skills and create interest and commitment among parents in addition to providing extra equipment for schools. The program also aims to reduce student failure and dropout rates through a tailored holistic approach.

 “Byblos Bank’s support will make an enormous difference to everyone connected with the schools, from the family, to the child, and the community and is a significant boost for the Adopt-a-School program in Lebanon,” Roberto Laurenti. “The “adoption” of public schools in the neediest areas aims to simultaneously provide a package of basic services, supplies and other urgent needs to ensure an environment conducive to the growth of all the students including those most at risk.

Chronic problems such as increasing dropout rates, deteriorating physical and sanitary conditions, poor to non existing equipment, unmotivated staff, poverty and families’ illiteracy demand a holistic approach and we are hoping that Byblos Bank’s commitment to the program will encourage other private companies to join us in adopting more public schools where it is most needed.”

Byblos Bank’s Head of Marketing, Mrs. Joumana Bassil Chelala outlined the reasons for the Banks’ support. “As the UNICEF team underlined to us when discussing the Adopt-a-School program, education for all is the responsibility of all and we directly agreed to be part of the project. At Byblos Bank we believe that Lebanon’s wealth relies on its human capital, its youth generation, and we found our mission reflected in this project. We are sure that we can make changes and help prepare the Lebanese youth for better tomorrows by making a contribution to the future of the schools, their staff and pupils. We also hope that announcing this publicly will generate further interest in the program from the commercial sector.” She called on all private companies and institutions to join forces with Byblos Bank and UNICEF to contribute to the success of the program and the education of Lebanese youth. “Everybody can be part of this program either through cash or in kind contributions as we all have something to give.”

“This is very much a collaborative work,” stressed Roberto Laurenti. “In addition to Byblos Bank and the Ministry of Education, we are working with the International College, Alpha, the UNESCO National Commission, CLES, ARC, Al Azem wal Saadah, and other partners to carry out all the elements of the program.”

In addition to basic physical rehabilitation of the schools focusing on water and sanitation, Adopt-a-School also upgrades the professional skills and knowledge of teachers and administrative staff by twinning each school with the country’s most prominent educational institutions.

Remedial classes are made available for students at risk of dropping out and those who have recently given up education. Literacy classes for parents of pupils are also provided as in most cases students dropping out come from illiterate families.

Additional program elements include coaching for parents to empower them as mentors for their children as well as the amplification of the community role of schools through the introduction of after school recreational activities for both students and adults.

“This project is something that Byblos Bank is very pleased to support and part of our ongoing program of community projects,” added Joumana Bassil Chelala. “We’re committed to being constructive partners in the Adopt-a-School program and will be following progress at the schools every step of the way.”

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Notes to editors:
Byblos Bank
Established in Byblos-Lebanon in 1950, Byblos Bank Group is a leading universal financial institution focused on domestic and selective regional markets. Its mission is to offer world-class services to its customers, value creation to its shareholders, fulfillment to its employees and economic benefits to the community in which it operates.

Byblos Bank’s support of the UNICEF Adopt-a-School initiative is one of many projects supported by the bank as part of its corporate social responsibility program across all communities in Lebanon. 
  

ADIR Insurance and Byblos Bank Reward Employees For their achievments in selling Bancassurance products
Cash amounts and valuable prizes distributed to winners of “Stars Challenge II” Contest
Beirut, ADIR Insurance & Reinsurance - April 25, 2006

ADIR (Adonis Insurance and Reinsurance) and Byblos Bank S.A.L. rewarded Byblos Bank employees for achieving the highest sales of Bancassurance products during the 2nd semester of the year 2005. 

The celebration was held at Byblos Tower in Ashrafieh in the presence of Dr. Francois Bassil, Chairman-General Manager of Byblos Bank, Mr. Semaan Bassil, Vice Chairman-General Manager of Byblos Bank, Mrs. Joumana Bassil Chelala, Head of Marketing, Sales and Retail Products Department at Byblos Bank. Mr. René Klat, CEO-Managing Director of ADIR insurance, Mr. Jean Hleiss, Director & Assistant General Manager of ADIR Insurance and Mr. Jean-Pierre Morin, Bernard Colin & Marcel Pizzini from “Natexis Assrances France”. The reception also gathered all Byblos Bank and Adir heads of departments, branch managers, and employees who were involved in the contest.

Dr. Bassil thanked Adir Insurance for holding such “an event which acknowledges the great performance of Byblos Bank employees and branches and which renders the motivation to constantly meet the objectives and raise the standards of the bank.

The valuable prizes distributed to the awardees ranged from cash rewards, wonderful trips to Sharm El Sheikh and Europe to Golden coins, Purchasing vouchers and other valuable gifts.

From his side, Mr. Klat, stressed on the importance of “collaborating and uniting the efforts of Adir Insurance and Byblos Bank in order to better face the challenges of the ever-growing and changing market”. Employees are the main catalysts of the “Bancassurance” success relying mainly on their performance, since they are directly in contact with clients. The whole competition is destined to make them feel appreciated, valued and to constantly boost their energy and morale. Our philosophy is simple but efficient: R & R, Reward & Recognize ….,” he said.

Mr. Morin from "Natexis Assurances France" highlighted: “This ceremony proves that Adir and Byblos have totally embraced the BANCASSURANCE concept and have united their respective efforts to turn this concept into a great success. I encourage the staff to keep up with the good work. 

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For further information on the above please contact: Mr. Rachid Abi Nader (ADIR Insurance) on 01/256290 ext: 112 

Byblos Bank Kafalat Loans Visit the Lebanese Territories
Various Lebanese Regions Show Interest in Kafalat and Small Business Loans Unit Activities
Byblos Tower, Achrafieh - April 8, 2006

Within its strategy aimed at promoting Kafalat through Byblos Bank, Kafalat and Small Business Loans Unit has visited various Lebanese regions in order to introduce the above-mentioned loans and unveil the role that Byblos Bank plays in granting these facilities.

Kafalat are long and medium-term loans granted by Byblos Bank to all sectors including the industrial, agricultural, tourist, handicraft and technological sectors.
The Kafalat program was especially designed to finance new projects or to increase the productivity of an existing project which value amounts to 8 million LBP as a minimum and 600 million as a maximum, depending on the project type.

In order to raise people’s awareness on the services provided by Kafalat, Kafalat and Small Business Loan Unit at Byblos Bank visited Northern Lebanon on 2 and 3 March in collaboration with the Assail Project financed by the USAID, attracting around 120 people interested in this kind of loans. It is worth mentioning that Assail is a project aimed at increasing the revenues of people working in the agricultural field and foodservice industries, creating new job opportunities in rural areas and ameliorating the production and marketing quality.
The Unit’s tour covered also the Bekaa region on 8 March where more than 60 milk producers and other interested parties attended the workshop held at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce; the South on 23 March, Zahleh on 24 March and the Western Bekaa on 6 and 7 April in collaboration with the municipalities of the region, Kafalat company and the USAID.

Byblos Bank’s Kafalat was also present at Horeca, the annual meeting place for hotels, restaurants and foodservice industries to give visitors a clear and detailed idea about Kafalat loans, benefits and facilities as well as the feasibility study that should be presented.

The above mentioned unit started its workshops on 2 March 2006 and is expected to pursue its activities during this year.

Byblos Bank S.A.L and Muhanna Foundation Organize a Workshop on the Role of Disabled at Work
Disabled People Are a Must at Work Legally, Ethically and Proficiently
Byblos Tower, Achrafieh - March 27, 2006

Byblos Bank S.A.L. organized, in collaboration with the Muhanna Foundation for Actuary Education, a workshop on the role of disabled people at work in the Arab countries in general and Lebanon in particular. The event was organized by Byblos Bank’s Human Resources Division to provide the various invited companies and establishments with facts and objective information about the benefits and costs of hiring disabled people. This initiative would help integrate this category of people in the work field and make the society more civic- oriented.  

In her opening word, Ms. Liliane Nohra, Head of Human Resources Division at Byblos Bank, thanked the invitees from around 20 HR Departments from different small and medium enterprises for their presence and for answering the call of Byblos Bank and the Muhanna Foundation. Ms. Nohra unveiled the aim of the workshop that consisted of two points: raising awareness regarding the capacities of the disabled and strengthening the network of human resources in different establishments. It is worth mentioning that the said workshop is the first of a series of other workshops and seminars to be organized by the HR Division at Byblos Bank in this concern.  

From his side, Mr. Ibrahim Muhanna, General Manager of Muhanna and Co. and Chairman of the Muhanna Foundation introduced the A.A. Muhanna Company exposing its vision and objectives. He then explained that, contrary to common belief, disabled people are as productive as any other employees. He added, “the latest studies showed that disabled people create much less turnover problems than any other employees,” clarifying that hiring disabled people does not require major changes in the work site as it is believed.  

In the same context, Mr. Iyad Hourani, Actuary Analyst at A.A. Muhanna Company, quoted the Lebanese Labor Law text in this regard, showing that the said law gives disabled people the right to vote, work, etc. and binds small and medium enterprises to hire disabled people, in percentages that vary according to the size of the company. Mr. Hourani provided as well statistics on the number of disabled in Lebanon and the region, as well as the number of working ones, stressing the fact that hiring disabled people is a must because they enjoy several competences that can be exploited, and could give the company the chance to enter other markets since they will certainly reflect a developed image of it. At the end, Mr. Muhanna highlighted that the main considerations companies should be proud of are being civic and human.  

The event was followed by a lunch at Byblos Bank Tower.   

"Plant a tree to preserve your roots”. Byblos Bank plants more than 200 cedars in the Chouf in the names of Lebanese Expatriates

“Plant a tree to preserve your roots”. Byblos Bank plants more than 200 cedars in the Chouf in the names of Lebanese Expatriates For all Lebanese people who were forced to live away from Lebanon,

For all those Lebanese expatriates who live abroad but whose heart is still attached to Lebanon, and who, on each visit wish they could come back, you should know that Byblos Bank always thinks of you and therefore strives to find the right solutions to keep you close to your dear country Lebanon.

This time, Byblos Bank’s idea is very innovative: Planting a cedar in the name of every Lebanese expatriate who opens a bank account at Byblos Bank within the Campaign “A Cedar to Preserve Your Roots” launched in December 2004. The official planting day of the cedars was fixed for August 2, 2005.

On Tuesday August 2, 2005 the long environmental day starts at 9:30 with a breakfast at the Bank’s Headquarters offered to the expatriates, their families and the press. Later on, the group headed towards the natural Chouf reserve where after an informative walk in the forest, around 200 cedars were planted in the name of expatriates on a hill reserved for Byblos Bank.

Two other cedars were planted one in the name of Byblos Bank and the other in the name of the Lebanese press for the “Freedom of Expression”. The group then gathered around a Lebanese traditional lunch in the Barouk.

Lebanese expatriates found this event a unique initiative from Byblos Bank. This time, it is sure that they will take with them a souvenir from Lebanon, an eternal symbol, a cedar bearing their name.

When asked about this event, Mrs. Joumana Bassil Chelala, Head of the Marketing, Sales and Retail Department at Byblos Bank declared: “Byblos Bank took this initiative in order to encourage the Lebanese people living abroad to come back to Lebanon and we always work hard to keep them next to their country, therefore we offer them a portfolio of services and programs especially conceived for them. Byblos Bank is a financial institution in continuous quest to answer the needs of Lebanese citizens whether they are in Lebanon or abroad and we therefore put at their service more than 50 years of experience and hard work”.

“This time, she added, we are also contributing to the forestation of Lebanon’s natural reserves and development of the cedars of Lebanon by planting around 200 cedars in a reserve that comprises 2 million cedars aged between 1300 and 1500 years stretching over 400 hectares. Our priority goes to save Lebanon at all levels whether economic, ecological, educational, or cultural”.

With this initiative, Byblos Bank is sure that Lebanese citizens who were forced by circumstances to live far away from their country of origin would like to come back to Lebanon to see their cedar grow and admire the beauty of the Lebanese landscape. Upon their return to their country of residence, these same expatriates who planted their cedar will inform other Lebanese people of this project and will encourage them to invest in Lebanon and adopt a tree there. Hence, they will be contributing to the economic and ecological development of Lebanon.

Download pictures : Click on each picture for a larger view
 

Breakfast in Byblos Tower

On The Way to Chouf Reserve

Barouk Cedar Forest

Walk in the Forest

Planting Cedars

Lunch in Barouk

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Byblos Bank donates computers
Beirut, Lebanon - December 7, 2001 

Under the patronage of the Minister of Education Mr. Abdel Rahim Mrad, a press conference was held at Jbeil Public School to announce an important donation of computer machines by Byblos Bank to public schools at Jbeil.This confirms Byblos Bank's continuous commitment to the educational
community program.

Chairman of Byblos Bank, Dr. François Bassil, spoke about the importance of children in our community and how investing in a proper education of children can revive the economy and generate benefits to all of us. For the past two years, Byblos bank has been participating in several national
community programs that encourage and promote advancement in education without discrimination in social status and background.

The purpose of the conference was to officially announce the donation of 100 fully equipped Hewlett Packard computers with software to 28 public schools in Jbeil region. To date, more than 400 PCs have been donated to public schools and educational institutions across the country.
 

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Byblos Bank’s 50th Anniversary Campaign Wins Prestigious Award 
Byblos Bank’s 50th anniversary campaign wins the “Leader in Service and Quality Award Europe-2000” in Lisboa –Portugal on the 6th of November represented by its advertising agency Gam D’arcy.To view the corporate campaign click here.

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Byblos Bank transforms the wall of LAU with Phoenician Statuettes 
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