Lebanon’s official weekend holidays is still proving to be a hot topic in the country, as Lebanese banks may decide to close this coming Saturday and all Saturdays from now on. Previously, Fridays and Saturdays were half-working days but with the new schedule, Friday is a full-working day and Saturdays are off.

It would only make sense for banks to close on Saturdays but I think they should keep certain branches open for simple operators a many Lebanese wait for Saturdays to go pay their bills or collect cheques. Needless to say, if we had better online banking in Lebanon, and more “Smart” branches or branches that open late on week days, we wouldn’t need to wait till Saturday.

I don’t have any problem with my bank (Bank Audi) as I can deposit cheques on their ATMs and settle bills or transfer funds on their ITMs but I have a couple of accounts in other banks and it’s a hassle every month.