BBAC was one of the main sponsors of Aley Development Forum, which aim was to discuss and analyze the economic, social and developmental challenges in the district of Aley. 

Mr. Ghassan Assaf, Chairman and General Manager of BBAC, applauded the efforts made for the improvement of Aley, stating: “This conference is a good precedent of the work required in order to attract investors to Aley and open the door for economic and investment opportunities.” He pointed out that Aley, through its institutions and establishments, could potentially become “an important hub for Arab markets.”

Mr. Raja Makarem, Head of Project Finance and SME Division at BBAC, also spoke at the forum, during the section regarding the role of SMEs and the challenges that face them. In his speech, he said, "BBAC pays particular attention to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, providing them with a number of different kinds of subsidized loans. These include ‘Kafalat’ loan guarantees and subsidized loans from the Central Bank of Lebanon, which are characterized by competitive interest rates and concessional terms." Mr. Makarem then went through the advantages of these loans and explained their mechanisms and conditions.

Mr. Assaf, for his part, also went on to say that, “Aley is suitable for small and medium enterprises,” and that “the development and endorsement of these institutions is a critical step in fostering economic, social, and human resources in developing countries as well as Lebanon.”

He emphasized the role of BBAC’s long history of supporting economic activity in Aley, and reiterated that the banking sector will also have an important role in economic development for it is in its best interests to secure steady financial growth throughout the region.

Mr. Assaf then went on to thank all the attendees for making this forum a success and expressed his hopes that Aley would play a major role in the renewed development of the country’s future.

Participating in the forum were current and former ministers, MPs and director-generals of specialized ministries, as well as municipality and municipality union mayors, business owners, traders, investors, and heads of associations, clubs, and civil, youth and student councils.