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The design and creative services sector had been expanding before the beginning of the economic crisis. These services, which are a subsector of the Cultural and Creative Industry (CCI), include jewelry manufacturing and repair, jewelry design, fashion design, and film production for businesses and advertising. Most of Lebanon’s CCI production, especially fashion design, festivals, jewelry, and publishing, is appreciated abroad mainly in the Arab world thanks to the country’s educated and creative human resources. The CCI industry, whose total revenues reach almost $1 billion in normal times, also comprises performing arts and festivals, visual arts, audiovisual arts (cinema and TV production), and cultural heritage.
Jewelry is top growth driver
Jewelry manufacturing and repair is the main ICC growth driver thanks to its high performance and size since it is the second largest ICC subsector after publishing. Its revenues surged by 41 percent over the 2016-2019 period to $246 million, according to a report by Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan (IOF) released in 2021. Lebanon has a revealed comparative advantage (RCA) in the jewelry subsector which enjoys a high export potential, said the IOF’s report, titled ‘Contribution of Cultural and Creative Industries to the Lebanese Economy’. The country has an RCA in jewelry thanks to its highly skilled workforce which is not expensive compared to its European counterpart. Lebanon was the fifth largest
