Gulf spending slowdown squeezes Lebanon's creative sector

Creative professionals in Lebanon are facing a sharp fall in work as spending contracts across Gulf economies following the start of the regional conflict in early March 2026. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among their principal client markets.

Accounts published by Al-Monitor in August 2026 describe one advertising firm's revenues down 70%, prompting staff cuts of half; a branding professional's income down around 60%; and another communications professional's projected income down 30%. Branding fees have fallen from up to $12,000 per project to rare opportunities accompanied by demands for discounts.

The recurring pattern is clients postponing projects, cutting budgets and delaying payment, with difficulty collecting fees for completed work. Institutionally, Creative Space Beirut — a tuition-free fashion design school running since 2011 — had expected $500,000 in donations but faced a shortfall as Gulf donors entered "survival mode", leaving it with four months of operating funds.