A new leadership platform aimed at reshaping business dialogue across the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean will make its debut in Beirut this spring. The Beirut Business Forum has announced its first edition will take place on 8 and 9 April 2026, bringing an array of global business leaders, innovators and thought leaders to the Lebanese capital.
Organisers revealed on 21 January that the two-day event will be held at the Seaside Arena, positioning Beirut as a hub for future-focused business thinking at a time when the region undergoes significant transformation. The forum represents a departure from conventional conference formats, instead offering what its creators describe as an immersive, thought-led experience centred on challenging established frameworks and exploring new approaches to leadership.
The speaker roster features an eclectic mix of international figures. Mo Gawdat, bestselling author and co-founder of Emma.Love, will appear alongside Marcelo Claure, partner and co-chairman of Brightstar Capital Partners and CEO of Claure Group. Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is set to participate, as is Rola Dagher, who previously served as global channel chief at Dell Technologies and president and CEO of Cisco Canada.
Additional speakers include Patrick Chalhoub, executive chairman of Chalhoub Group, digital anthropologist and New York Times bestselling author Rahaf Harfoush, and real estate developer Mohamed Hadid. These figures will be joined by other influential voices from across various industries and regions.
According to organisers, the choice of Beirut as the forum’s home carries particular weight. The city’s reputation for resilience and creative energy makes it well-suited for discussions about reinvention and forward-thinking business strategies. At a moment when Beirut finds itself at what organisers call a pivotal juncture between challenge and possibility, the forum aims to harness the city’s distinctive character.
Bassem El Jisr, who founded the initiative, explained the vision behind the platform. “Beirut has always been a place where ideas are born, challenged and transformed. With the Beirut Business Forum, we want to create a platform that pushes leaders to think differently, act with intention and shape the region’s next chapter. This is not just a forum, it is a call to reimagine what leadership can be and how collective progress can look when courage, curiosity and collaboration meet.”
The forum’s structure emphasises dialogue and perspective-shifting sessions rather than traditional presentations. Participants will be encouraged to interrogate the systems they operate within and consider new pathways for creating meaningful impact in their respective fields. This approach reflects the organisers’ belief that substantive progress emerges from conversation that bridges diverse viewpoints.
El Jisr brings extensive business experience to the venture. As CEO of Bridge Capital Holding, he has spent more than a decade guiding investment deployment and diversification strategies across multiple asset classes, focusing on long-term growth and development. The forum itself operates under Bridging Minds SAL and has secured licensing from the Ministry of Economy, operating within what organisers describe as a robust governance framework designed to ensure transparency and credibility.
The Beirut Business Forum positions itself as more than a one-off event. Rooted in what its founders describe as Beirut’s spirit of creativity and vibrant contrasts, the platform aims to serve the broader Levant and Eastern Mediterranean regions. The team behind the forum draws on decades of combined experience across business, governance and creative industries.
Organisers emphasise their commitment to fostering what they term “visionary leadership” and “purposeful innovation” through a collaborative community. The underlying philosophy centres on seeing opportunity where others might perceive only obstacles, particularly relevant given the complex challenges facing the region.
The inaugural edition will welcome not only established leaders and executives but also emerging changemakers. By convening this mix of participants, the forum seeks to create an environment where diverse perspectives can intersect and generate fresh thinking about the future of business in the region and beyond.
Meanwhile, the timing of the announcement—several months ahead of the April event—allows potential participants to plan their involvement in what organisers hope will become a significant date on the regional business calendar. The forum arrives as businesses across the Middle East navigate rapid technological change, evolving market dynamics and shifting geopolitical landscapes.
Beirut’s selection as host city reflects a deliberate strategy. Despite facing considerable challenges in recent years, the Lebanese capital maintains its reputation as a cultural crossroads where ideas circulate rapidly and complexity often sparks innovation. The forum’s creators see this environment as ideal for the kind of bold thinking they aim to encourage.
The platform’s emphasis on collective progress and collaborative problem-solving distinguishes it from more traditional business gatherings. Rather than focusing solely on individual achievement or corporate promotion, the forum encourages participants to consider how shared challenges might be addressed through coordinated action and fresh perspectives.
With its focus on substance over spectacle, the Beirut Business Forum represents an attempt to create lasting value for participants beyond the two-day event itself. The connections forged and ideas exchanged are intended to catalyse ongoing dialogue and potentially inspire concrete initiatives in the months and years ahead.
As the April dates approach, the forum stands as a statement of confidence in Beirut’s continued relevance as a centre for business and intellectual exchange in the Eastern Mediterranean. For a city that has weathered significant turbulence, hosting an event of this nature signals both resilience and ambition—qualities the forum itself aims to celebrate and channel into productive outcomes.