[3] Al Balad was first published on 15 December 2003,[4][5] offering a myriad of prizes to lure subscribers "in exchange for largely insipid centrist news and popular society pages.

Soon after, a series of crises (United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 and the assassination of Rafic Hariri) left Lebanese citizens thirsting for political and security-related news which Al Balad had not provided,[7] which led to the newspaper dismissing its staff and shutting down in 2005.

[6] Al Balad published a French edition in 2008 which lasted for three years before being shut down for financial reasons.

Arabic: موظفو جريدة البلد متكتفون لا حول لهم ولا قوة ينتظرون معجزة الهية ترد حقوقهم التي نصبها عليهم أصحاب الجريدة..والأهم أنهم يتجولون في باريس و دبي غير آبهين بمصير الموظفين..و الدولة في نوم عميق لم تسمع لهم نداء ولا مناجاة ..Bashar Kiwan Majd Suleiman The employees of Al Balad newspaper are bound and helpless, waiting for a divine miracle to restore their [rights/benefits] that the owners of the newspaper swindled from them... and most importantly, they wander around Paris and Dubai, not caring about the fate of the employees... and the State is in a deep sleep, an appeal or plea was not heard from them .. Bashar Kiwan Majd Suleiman Al Balad is owned by United Group for Publishing and Advertising (through its affiliate Al Waseet International),[14] the Syrian media conglomerate owned by the Syrian businessmen Majd Suleiman and Bachar Kiwan, seen as the media arm of the Assad regime in various Arab countries.

In 2006, a study carried out by Ara'a Company with 2,500 participants concluded that Al Balad was read by 18.3% of Lebanese over 15 years of age, being the first in this regard.