Freelancing Vs Banks / Withdrawing money in Lebanon

Hello everybody!

Apparently, this is really bad thing when the withdrawal card of an european citizen is disabled!

It happened to me recently and since this time, this is like hell...

My first move was to try to open an account here, in Lebanon. (Hello expatblog, "powered" by HSBC!)

I visited thus HBCS' and others banks branches but they are all asking for the same thing, a workink permit (and working residency).

When you work for a Lebanese company, that's nothing. But when you are a freelancer, what can you do? I'm also planning to create an activity here but I'd have the same problem anyway...

And because Paypal doesn't work with Lebanese accounts, this is very difficult without a withdrawal card to use money from a foreign account without losing a lot of money...

So if anyone experienced such a situation or has any tips about that, PLEASE let me know. Otherwise I'll have to leave Lebanon. Isn't it shameful?

Thanks
Pierre