This Directory… Credibility and Referentiality As in developed countries, the Lebanese industry, was supposed to be the cornerstone of the national economy, along with other productive sectors, particularly the agricultural sector which goes hand in hand with it. For this reason, we have been focusing on these two sectors for the last six years. I have endeavored and took necessary positions and decisions to support these two vital sectors within the framework of my ministerial competencies. Nonetheless, the outcome of these steps remains limited due to the absence of a clear economic policy of the Lebanese government. These policies are not supposed to only be in the ministry’s visions, but also in an integrated governmental vision to support the productive sectors. Despite of that, the industrial sector, with its investing and human capacities, proved that it could stand resiliently in the face of difficulties arising from the government “abandonment of responsibilities” and the challenges and obstacles facing the Lebanese production in internal and external markets, mainly: the trade agreements concluded with Arab and foreign countries which overburdened the Lebanese industry with additional challenges in internal markets in terms of competition and dumping as well as in external markets in terms of high cost of Lebanese exports, and the protectionism and subsidy policies adopted by foreign countries that export to Lebanon jeopardizing the Lebanese markets. In this regard, the Ministry of Industry, in collaboration with the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI) have completed 24 files aimed at protecting a large number of products Made in Lebanon through a number of procedures such as imposing specific fees on similar imported products made by a large number of Lebanese industries. These files are already submitted to the Council of Ministers, and we have high hopes that they will be enacted. However, these challenges and difficulties have often motivated us to use incentives and complete our mission, as the proverb goes “Necessity is the mother of invention.” These obstacles did not impede the industrialists’ efforts to develop their production and seek marketing tools in most foreign markets. This is shown through the high quality of national industrial production and the international quality certificates granted to these industries. Therefore, the issuance of the Directory of Lebanese Exports & Industrial Firms’ tenth edition, published since early 1980’s under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and the participation of the Association of Lebanese industrialists, is a clear indicator of the industry’s resilience. This directory is developed according to the latest methods to properly introduce the Lebanese production; it adopts a Harmonized System Code (customs article) to classify the Lebanese industrial production. Information is collected from field surveys in all its issues and constitutes a comprehensive market for the Lebanese industry in its various financing and marketing activities, as it covers the banking sector with its branches in Lebanon and abroad, insurance and transport sectors, importers of industrial machinery and raw materials making this directory a reliable tool, and a reference of Lebanese Industrial products. This issue is different as it was prepared based on a field survey carried out by the Industrial Directory Co. under the patronage and supervision of the ministry. The results of this survey show the realistic number of factories in Lebanon. The Ministry of Industry, sponsor and supporter of the current tenth issue, and all previous issues, confirms its continuous cooperation between the ministry, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists and the industrial sector in supporting the necessary measures taken to develop this directory to achieve further benefits for the Lebanese industrial sector.