BBAC s.a.l. (Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries) held its annual gathering ceremony on the occasion of New Year and in honor of its staff on January 16, 2010 at the Emirates Hall in Habtoor Grand Hotel – Beirut. The celebration was attended by Chairman General Manager of BBAC, Sheikh Ghassan Assaf, Board of Directors of BBAC, Senior Managers and Heads of Sections and Branches, the Bank staff in Lebanon and abroad, and representatives of its subsidiaries.

The gathering ceremony has become a BBAC annual tradition to consolidate the social relations and to promote the spirit of one family within the bank.

On this occasion, Sheikh Ghassan Assaf gave a speech welcoming the audience and praised the efforts of the staff noting the results achieved, which consolidated the position of the bank and its durability. He said: "I take this opportunity to express my gratitude, appreciation and encouragement to each one of you, for your contribution to the achievements in the development and growth of the bank and I wish you a year of prosperity. And note that the bank remains strong through the loyalty of its staff and their feeling of belonging to BBAC for it is the space that brings us together professionally and humanly, where there is no discrimination or preferences except for the effort and loyalty provided by each one of you."

In the context of his speech, Sheikh Ghassan Assaf addressed the subject of the bank’s development and growth by reviewing the financial results achieved in 2009, which reflect positive growth. He also announced BBAC's objectives for this year, among which were the following: to proceed with the development and expansion of BBAC branches in Lebanon and abroad, to launch new products and services, to complete the hard work of developing the cadres and the staff of the bank and to further enhance the technological progress that characterizes the bank.

For the occasion, a short documentary film on the bank was presented to brief the audience about its history and expansion. A message of gratitude was also delivered through this documentary to the staff who contributed to this success.

During the ceremony, the bank distributed cash amount and valuable prizes to winners of staff lottery and paid tribute to a number of employees who have served BBAC for many years in recognition of their professional efforts and dedication.