According to the Ministry of Industry, the total number of permits granted for industrial factories reached 652 in 2017. The highest number of approved permits, 92, was recorded during the month of October while the lowest number of approvals, 8, was registered during the month of September. The approvals for Building licenses accounted for 29.6% of the total, Investment licenses followed with a stake of 18.6% while “Build and Invest Licenses” accounted for 16.4% of the total.
The largest number of approvals (256) was granted in the region of Mount Lebanon while the regions of Bekaa and North Lebanon tracked suit with 180 and 94 approvals, respectively.
In terms of industrial zones, 19 licenses were granted in Choueifat while 15 were granted in Zahleh Hosh el Omara. The breakdown by industrial activity shows that food industries grasped the largest share of total licenses with 33.6%, while construction material and, Chemical industry followed with the same share of 10.4%.
Regional Allocation of License Approvals in 2017
| Region | Approvals of Industrial Licenses |
| Mount Lebanon | 256 |
| Bekaa | 180 |
| North Lebanon | 94 |
| South Lebanon | 59 |
| Nabatiyeh | 41 |
| Beirut | 22 |
| Grand Total | 652 |
Source: Ministry of Industry