BDL gold reserves
value tops $30 billion

More than doubled since the onset of the 2019 crisis

The value of gold reserves held by the Central Bank (BDL) has surged to surpoass $30 billion, following a global spike in gold prices that reached $3,300 per ounce as of this writing.

Lebanon’s 286.83 tons of gold—equivalent to 9.18 million ounces—were valued at $13.7 billion in October 2019, when the country’s economic and financial crisis began and gold traded at an average of $1,500 per ounce. By the end of 2024, the reserves were valued at $24 billion.

This sharp increase has pushed BDL’s total foreign currency reserve assets to $40 billion. The upward trend in gold prices reflects global investor appetite for safe-haven assets amid mounting fears of an economic slowdown, particularly following new U.S. tariff measures.

Despite the growing value of its gold reserves, Lebanon is legally prohibited from selling or using the gold as collateral. The law, enacted decades ago, positions the gold stockpile as a strategic national asset and a final financial buffer.