BEIRUT: Lebanon's cabinet has agreed to impose a fee on calls over WhatsApp and other similar applications, as part of efforts to raise revenues in the country's 2020 draft budget, a minister said on Thursday.
Lebanon has one of the world's highest debt burdens, low growth and crumbling infrastructure and is facing strains in its financial system from a slowdown in capital inflows. The government has declared a state of "economic emergency" and promised steps to ward off a crisis.
Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah said on Thursday that cabinet had agreed a charge of 20 cents per day for calls via voice over internet protocol (VoIP), used by applications including Facebook-owned Whatsapp, Facebook calls and FaceTime.
The fee could potentially bring in up to $250 million in annual revenues from the country's estimated 3.5 million VoIP users.
The country has only two service providers, both state-owned, and some of the most costly mobile rates in the region.
Lebanese TV channels cited Telecoms Minister Mohamed Choucair as saying the fee would "not be applied without something in return" which he would announce next week.
Finance Mininster Ali Hassan Khalil said last month there were no new taxes or fees in the draft 2020 budget he sent to cabinet.
Lebanon is under pressure to approve the 2020 budget to unlock some $11 billion pledged at a donor conference last year, conditional on fiscal and other reforms.
Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri has said the government would work to further reduce the 2020 budget deficit.
Foreign allies are not yet fully convinced the Lebanese government is serious about reforms, and a French envoy last month criticised the pace of work.
The government only approved the 2019 budget halfway through this year. Lebanon had until 2017 had gone 12 years without a budget.
Ahead of a cabinet session on Thursday, Jarrah said ministers would discuss a proposal to raise value-added tax by 2 percentage points in 2021 and then another 2 percentage points in 2022, until it reaches 15%.
After ministers agree the 2020 draft budget, they must send it to parliament for approval.
Lebanon plans to charge for WhatsApp calls -minister
Lebanon plans to charge for WhatsApp calls -minister
- Jamal al-Jarrah said that cabinet had agreed a charge of 20 cents per day for calls used by applications including Whatsapp, Facebook calls and FaceTime
- The fee could potentially bring in up to $250 million in annual revenues from the country's estimated 3.5 million VoIP users
Dubai Financial Market reports $288.6m profit for 2025 - up 159%
RIYADH: Dubai Financial Market reported net profit before tax of 1.06 billion dirhams ($288.6 million) in 2025, up 159 percent from a year earlier.
The improved performance was driven by sustained confidence in Dubai’s capital markets and a year of heightened trading activity, with momentum continuing through the fourth quarter.
The results coincided with the exchange marking 25 years since its establishment in 2000, highlighting its evolution into a more globally connected and institutionally active marketplace, according to a report by the Emirates News Agency.
For the full year ending Dec. 31, total consolidated revenues rose to 1.28 billion dirhams, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization reached 1.13 billion dirhams, translating into an EBITDA margin of 88 percent.
The results come as Dubai pushes ahead with its D33 agenda to double the emirate’s economy by 2033 and deepen its position as a global financial hub.
The UAE central bank has pointed to solid capital markets momentum and low sovereign risk indicators in 2025, underscoring the confidence backdrop for higher trading activity.
Helal Al-Marri, chairman of DFM, said: “DFM’s performance in 2025 reflects the continued strength of Dubai’s capital markets and the confidence of global investors in the emirate’s economic vision.
“As we mark 25 years since the establishment of DFM, the exchange continues to play a central role within Dubai’s financial ecosystem, supporting transparency, liquidity, and long-term market development in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.”
Fourth-quarter net profit before tax increased to 124.4 million dirhams from 110.6 million dirhams in the same period of 2024, reflecting sustained trading momentum toward year-end.
Market performance remained strong throughout the year, with the DFM General Index rising 17.2 percent and total market capitalization reaching 992 billion dirhams.
Average daily traded value climbed to 692 million dirhams, while total traded value amounted to 174 billion dirhams, marking the highest liquidity levels in more than a decade.
The average daily number of trades rose 31 percent year on year, driven by increased institutional and cross-border activity.
Hamed Ali, CEO of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai, said: “In 2025, DFM continued to build on the progress of recent years, supported by steady trading activity, growing international participation, and ongoing enhancements to our market infrastructure.”
He added: “Our focus throughout the year remained on improving market accessibility, supporting a broad range of investment activity, and ensuring the market continues to operate efficiently for both issuers and investors. As we mark 25 years of DFM, we remain committed to developing the market in line with Dubai’s long-term capital markets ambitions.”
Investor participation broadened further during the year, with 97,394 new participants joining the market, of which 84 percent were foreign.
Foreign investors accounted for 51 percent of total trading value, while institutional investors represented 71 percent of trading activity.
The total investor base reached 1.25 million, reinforcing DFM’s position as a destination for regional and international capital.
Capital-raising activity also expanded DFM’s sectoral footprint.
The exchange hosted Dubai Residential REIT, the region’s first publicly traded residential leasing real estate investment trust, which attracted subscriptions 26 times over and total demand of 56 billion dirhams.
It also saw the secondary public offering of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co., alongside the initial public offering of ALEC Holdings, the UAE’s largest construction-sector listing to date, which generated subscriptions of 30 billion dirhams, representing an oversubscription of 21 times.
Innovation and market development remained a focus in 2025, with the launch of a centralized securities lending and borrowing framework and further enhancements to digital platforms, including AI-enabled features on iVestor.
DFM also strengthened its international engagement through global roadshows and partnerships, including a memorandum of understanding with the Taiwan Stock Exchange aimed at supporting cross-border listings and investor outreach.
Looking ahead, the exchange said it remains focused on enhancing liquidity, expanding product offerings, and deepening global connectivity, supported by a strong financial position and a diversified investor base.
