How to find company information in Lebanon

Officially, company registration information is maintained by the Lebanese Ministry of Justice’s Commercial Register, which provides a free online search tool (in Arabic) for company names and registration details. However, as of now, the official online portal (http://cr.justice.gov.lb/) is not operational, limiting direct public access to official company data.

However, any individual can visit in person the commercial register and obtain written information about a company established in Lebanon.

Another option is recourse to private paid business information providers. Among these, Masri Holding (Khalil Masri et Fils Sarl) is a leading Lebanese firm specializing in credit information, risk compliance, and business intelligence services. Masri Holding offers detailed company profiles and credit reports widely used by banks and businesses in Lebanon.

Due to the limited functionality of the official Commercial Register website, publicly accessible official data is minimal online. Traditionally, the Commercial Register provides:

• Company name and registration number.
• Legal form and date of registration.
• Registered address.
• Capital amount.
• Shareholders’ names.
• Authorized signatory or signatories.
• Board members’ names if any.
• Existing liens if any
• Lawyer’s name.

Private providers like Masri Holding and business directories such as 5INDEX supplement this with more comprehensive company data, including sector classification, contact details, and sometimes creditworthiness assessments.

Officially, documents such as registration certificates, shareholder lists and the attestation from the Commercial Registry are accessible through the Commercial Register, but full corporate documents like articles of incorporation or financial statements are not publicly available online.

These can be obtained through formal requests to the Companies Registry or via private firms. Private firms may offer access to some documents or summaries under specific conditions. However, these documents are generally in Arabic and require fees or intermediaries for access.

Besides registration data, there is:

• Intellectual Property Rights: Lebanon provides legal protection for patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, and unfair competition under laws aligned with international standards such as those defined by WIPO. Intellectual property rights enable creators and owners to benefit from their inventions and works, safeguarding moral and material interests. (https://www.economy.gov.lb/en/what-we-provide/intellectual-property-right/)
• Real Estate Ownership
• Trade and Commercial Legislation: The Ministry of Economy & Trade administers trade-related laws and international trade agreements, supporting companies in navigating import-export regulations and commercial contracts. (https://economy.gov.lb/en/what-we-provide/trade/trade-related-legislation/)
• Clearance documents from the Ministry of Economy and Trade

Information on pending litigation involving a company, its shareholders, or legal representatives is not publicly accessible through the Commercial Register or business directories. Such data is typically held by judicial courts and is confidential unless disclosed through legal proceedings or specialized legal information services. Accessing litigation details usually requires formal legal requests or involvement of legal counsel, as there is no public centralized database for litigation status in Lebanon. However, some information can be found on the attestation retrieved from the Commercial Registry.

Minimal legal proceedings information can be found at company information providers for additional fees.