The Lebanese Central Bank issued on July 1, 2025 basic decision no. 13729 under basic circular no. 169 directed to banks whereby it prohibited banks from the repayment of any foreign currency deposits constituted (whether at the specific bank or transferred from another bank) before October 17, 2019 above the ceilings set by BDL before getting its prior written approval. BDL stated in the preamble of the circular that the banking crisis that erupted in October 2019 led to the imposition of restrictions on deposits, limiting the ability of resident and non-resident depositors to freely utilize their deposits, namely foreign currency deposits. As a result, some depositors have requested the immediate repayment of their deposits, while others resorted to foreign courts for this purpose. BDL commented that even in event said claim s are deemed rightful in principle, this would not be the case during banking crises due to the disproportionality that arose as privileged depositors benefited from preferential treatment over other depositors. Accordingly, the circular serves to ensure equity in the repayment of non-fresh deposits and to put an end to the selective repayment of deposits.    

In a related note, the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) issued an announcement in which it welcomed this BDL decision which does not aim to protect banks as some ill-intentioned individuals who are upset by their perceived equality with others claim, but rather to protect all depositors without discrimination or differentiation between one depositor and another who possesses capabilities and qualifications not available to others. This decision constitutes the first concrete, practical step towards preserving the rights of depositors and implementing justice and equality among them, as required in a systemic crisis such as the current one, always according to the ABL.