Doing business in conflict zones: what companies can learn from Lafarge’s exit from Syria

By Nathalie Belhoste, Associate professor, EM Lyon Business School
Anna Dimitrova, Professor, ESSCA School of Management

The world experienced over 60 armed conflicts in 2024, a “historically high” number according to scholars in the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University. Consequently, the risks faced by multinational companies (MNCs) operating in conflict-torn regions, especially the Middle East and North Africa, have significantly intensified. Israel’s recent airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities are another reminder of the escalating violence and instability that…

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