Survey is based on six criteria and covers eight Middle East States

A survey conducted by executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles International indicated that Lebanon is the fourth most desirable country in the Middle East to relocate to among eight countries included in the survey, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.

Lebanon ranked ahead of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and came behind Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE on the firm’s Desirability Index. The index is based on the proportion of respondents’ awareness about a country as well as their ratings of six parameters that are market value of work experience, quality of education, social environment, work environment, potential for saving money, and personal and family safety. Lebanon ranked second after the UAE among the region’s resident and nonresident Arab executives, but came last among expatriates residing in the region and nonresident expatriates in terms of favorite relocation destination. 

Lebanon ranked sixth on the value of work experience gained, coming ahead of Egypt and Jordan, as 43 percent of nonresident Arabs, 42 percent of resident Arabs, and 19 percent of resident and nonresident expatriates each considered that the value of work experience gained in Lebanon is better than in the other 7 Arab countries. As a result, Lebanon ranked fifth among resident Arabs, fourth among nonresident Arabs, in sixth place among resident expats, and in seventh place among nonresident expatriates on this category.

Also, Lebanon ranked in fourth place on the quality of its work environment, coming ahead of Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but behind Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. About 52 percent of resident Arabs, 44 percent of nonresident Arabs, 18 percent of resident ex­pats and 17 percent of nonresident expatriates concurred that Lebanon had the best work environment in the region. Lebanon ranked third among resident and nonresident Arabs, fifth among resident ex­pats and last among nonresident expatriates on this category.

Lebanon also ranked second on the quality of education category, coming ahead of all other Arab markets with the exception of the UAE. A total of 73 percent of resident Arabs, 68 percent of nonresident Arabs, 21 percent of nonresident expats and 19 percent of resident expatriates considered that Lebanon had the highest quality of education. Lebanon ranked first among resident Arabs, second among nonresident Arabs, and fifth among resident and nonresident expats on this category.

Lebanon ranked in second place on the social environment category, as 85 percent of resident Arabs, 81 percent of nonresident Arabs, 40 percent of nonresident expats and 33 percent of resident expatriates considered that Lebanon had the best social environment in the Arab world. Lebanon ranked first among resident and nonresident Arabs, fourth among resident expatriates and third among nonresident expatriates.

In parallel, Lebanon ranked last among the eight countries covered in terms of the potential for saving money, as 36 percent of nonresident Arabs, 31 percent of resident Arabs, 20 percent of nonresident exapts and 18 percent of resident expatriates considered that Lebanon had the highest potential to save money. Lebanon ranked sixth among resident Arabs, seventh among nonresident Arabs, and in last place among resident and nonresident expatriates on this category. Lebanon ranked in last place on the personal and family safety category, with 20 percent of resident Arabs, 17 percent of nonresident Arabs, 5 percent of resident expats and 4 percent of nonresident expatriates considered Lebanon a safe destination.