Beirut - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Anywhere from suit and tie formal to casual. It's the middle east so it gets hot. The dress is a bit relaxed in the summertime. - Aug 2024
I would say it's slightly less formal than average, but the standard suit and tie sections still require that attire. - Oct 2020
Standard embassy dress. Some sections where suits, most are business casual. - May 2019
It's so funny when I go home and people ask me if I wear a hijab or a burka when I'm in Lebanon, and they are shocked when I tell them it's the exact opposite! This is the place to go if you are a fan of leopard print, 4-5 inch heels, cleavage, lots of makeup, lots of perfume, and mini skirts. The more, the better here! - Jul 2016
If you have representational duties and engage with your Lebanese counterparts, then dress is professional. Other sections are business casual. Outside of work, the Lebanese dress to impress, so pretty much anything goes. - Nov 2014
Most people are fairly casual, depending on the section. - Apr 2014
In public anything goes. You can see everything from mini skirts, low cut tops, and stilettos to a full covering. Dress for your own comfort level. In the work place it would depend on the particular business. - Jan 2014
Formal business attire at work, otherwise there are no special restrictions. At the beach, people go nearly naked. - Sep 2010
Lebanese, in general, are quite stylish. They tend toward suits for business activities, although they may forgo the tie. The embassy follows this convention. For social events, it's difficult to be too stylishly or too sexily dressed. The Lebanese will always outclass or shock you with their excess. Some parts of the country still hold to traditional values, but your contact with them is likely to be rare. - Jul 2010
At work, professional -- men should wear a tie and women should look professional. Otherwise you are mostly at home and can wear what you like. - Jun 2009
The Lebanese like to dress up. The men dress pretty conservatively (grey, blue, black suits) for business. The women dress pretty scantily (if Christian) and cover up pretty well (if Muslim). - Jun 2008
The Lebanese tend to over-dress, always. - Mar 2008
