From her small office at home, content creator Sally Abu Mari opens up to the world through her computer screen, working with global companies. Remote work platforms such as Freelancer.com, Upwork, and Khamsat have provided her opportunities for freelance work that yield foreign currency earnings, as salaries from Lebanese companies have become "unattractive for content creators" amid the economic crisis. There are no official figures for remote workers in Lebanon, but the programming sector alone employs about 22,000 Lebanese, with earnings reaching up to $4,000 monthly in the best cases, according to digital evolution expert Ramez Al-Qara, meaning millions of dollars are being injected into the economy.
"I am the master of my time."
Remote work platforms are the best outcome of the "Corona" crisis. This is how content creator Sally Abu Mari expresses to "Al-Modon" the importance of these platforms in the lives of remote workers in Lebanon, stating they have "helped us engage in work, provided us with comfortable income, and returned benefits to us, our surroundings, and our community." In comparison to traditional jobs, she recounts how "these platforms allowed us to invest our time without spending from our income, unlike a regular job that requires transportation costs." Furthermore, they provided "balance between family and work," allowing us to be "masters of our own time and place of work." This creates a sense of comfort regarding the work environment, away from the pressure of office attendance, in addition to contributing to multi-task productivity.
Other advantages of remote work platforms include relationships with clients outside of them. However, the financial aspect has been the most significant amidst the dollar crisis in Lebanon. In this context, Sally expresses her feeling of "security," with a "fair" income "in dollars."
### The "Global" Search for Dollar
The Lebanese youth's shift towards freelancing cannot be separated from the global trend. Young people in the digital age are moving away from fixed jobs, unlike previous generations that heavily relied on them for income, as explained by trainer and university professor Manour Mohammed in his talk with "Al-Modon." He considers "the factors that accelerated this trend in Lebanon, primarily the economic crisis of 2019, where any external income became a significant amount compared to the collapse of the local currency," especially with "the greed of employers who price their goods in dollars and pay their employees in Lebanese pounds."
Today, digital global economies prevail; every young person with a laptop, internet, and skills related to remote jobs can utilize these platforms to earn a primary income, says Mohammed, highlighting the importance of remote work platforms in the professional initiation of youth. They provide "a medium" that secures clients and jobs for them without incurring initial costs, unlike any freelance work that may require spending before profits are realized.
Mohammed highlights three levels beneficial to users of these platforms: Firstly, young individuals at the beginning of their careers may face difficulties in acquiring projects due to a lack of connections; this is where the importance of freelance platforms lies, offering them the ease of finding clients all in one place. Secondly, guaranteed payment is ensured through these sites, where both sides reach a mutual agreement between the client and the service provider. The third level is opening channels from Lebanon to the world; these platforms are "communities in themselves," playing an essential role in a promising launch for freelancers by forming relationships that can be taken outside the platform once trust and credibility are established between the client and the freelancer to continue projects later without a mediator.
### 22,000 Freelancers
Digital evolution expert Ramez Al-Qara links the Lebanese trend toward freelancing to the beginning of 2020, specifically after the fierce crisis of money restrictions in banks, which pushed many employees from tech companies specializing in programming and engineering to turn to remote work platforms, especially with declining investments and the closure of several foreign companies. Currently, 22,000 people in Lebanon declare their work in "remote" programming on LinkedIn, with individual earnings potentially reaching $4,000 per month in the best cases. The revenues from these jobs amount to millions of dollars, considering these individuals rely on freelance work as their primary income. This does not yet account for profits from remote workers in other sectors, such as translation and content creation, which could potentially double the amount, sums that are relied upon for developing freelance work in Lebanon!
### Towards Legalizing Remote Freelancing
However, developing the freelance sector in Lebanon faces fundamental challenges that Al-Qara enumerates, including poor internet quality, which leads to significant missed opportunities in this field. Additionally, the infrastructure of Lebanese banks complicates transactions with global digital banks used by remote work platforms like Payoneer and PayPal. Consequently, Lebanese workers often resort to receiving payments via "Western Union" or opening digital accounts abroad through friends, complicating the payment process. Moreover, there is a legal aspect; there is currently no "individual" legal status for remote freelancing in Lebanon. Freelancing for Lebanese does not only encompass remote work platforms but also includes individuals working with companies abroad. Al-Qara gives the example of allowing individuals to establish Individual companies in Ukraine. If this were applied in Lebanon, many global companies would be eager to work with Lebanese individuals who acquire "legal status," granting these individuals rights such as social security. The continued lack of legal recognition for remote freelancers working with foreign companies results in lost opportunities and dollar earnings.
### The Need to Develop the Sector
Alongside these challenges, there has been no endorsement from any official or private entity to develop this digital field, which, unlike the tourism sector that sees its foreign currency revenues flowing through capital owners to reach its employees in Lebanese pounds, generates revenues that reach individuals directly, injecting dollars straight into the Lebanese market and strengthening the economic cycle. Supporting the sector does not necessitate "tremendous steps" from the state; it merely requires the establishment of institutes to develop freelance work in Lebanon and training in modern technology. A partnership between the Lebanese state and specialized partners in digital training, such as Coursera or Udemy, could facilitate this effort.
Al-Qara concludes by noting that the field of digital transformation is "much broader than we might imagine." Even those proficient in accounting and secretarial work, who believe it is solely office work, can work "online" in data entry or as call center experts, earning fresh dollars!
