Shipping Arabia, November 2, 2026 – Lebanon is advancing expansion plans for the Beirut and Tripoli ports following their inclusion in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Ports Club. The developments include a $100 million container terminal expansion at Beirut, aimed at raising annual handling capacity to approximately 3 million containers by 2028.
Marwan Naffi, chairman and director general of the Port of Beirut, confirmed that Lebanon has begun implementing its port development plans despite continuing security and economic uncertainties. He also revealed that the Port of Tripoli had started work on its own development plan.
The initiatives form part of Lebanon’s efforts to strengthen its position as a regional logistics hub and increase its participation in trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Beirut Port Launches $100 Million Container Terminal Expansion
The Port of Beirut is undertaking a major expansion of its container terminal, with an estimated investment of $100 million. The project aims to increase annual capacity from approximately 1.2 million to 1.3 million containers to around 3 million by 2028.
French shipping group CMA CGM announced the investment in September 2026. The project includes upgrades to terminal equipment and operational areas, with implementation expected to take approximately 18 months.
The development represents the third and largest expansion phase in the container terminal’s history. Originally established in 2000, the terminal had an annual capacity of between 500,000 and 700,000 containers. A subsequent expansion in 2013 increased capacity to its current level.
Beirut is Lebanon’s largest commercial port and a major maritime gateway in the eastern Mediterranean. It maintains connections with approximately 300 ports worldwide and handles an estimated 3,100 vessel calls annually.
Naffi said the expansion program would continue through 2028. He expects the additional infrastructure to support a significant increase in container traffic and strengthen the port’s competitiveness in regional maritime trade.
Tripoli Port Development Targets Future Logistics Growth
The Port of Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest port, has also begun implementing its development plan. According to Naffi, work on the initiative started approximately one month before his remarks.
Tripoli occupies an area of roughly 3 square kilometers and includes a maritime basin covering approximately 320,000 square meters.
An additional 420,000 square meters of land adjacent to the existing port has been reserved for the development of a container terminal and a future free-trade zone.
The planned improvements are intended to support Tripoli’s potential role in regional logistics and transit operations as Lebanon seeks greater participation in international trade corridors.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the inclusion of Beirut and Tripoli in the IMEC Ports Club during a visit to Tripoli. He highlighted the opportunity for Tripoli to develop into a major port and economic hub serving Lebanon and the wider region.
Beirut and Tripoli Ports Join IMEC Cooperation Network
The development plans follow Lebanon’s participation in the newly established IMEC Ports Club, which seeks to strengthen cooperation among ports associated with the emerging India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
Earlier in October, Naffi and Iskandar Bandali, chairman of the Port of Tripoli, signed the joint declaration establishing the Ports Club in New Delhi.
The declaration creates an open platform for dialogue and cooperation among participating ports. Its objectives include strengthening links between port-related economic and logistics activities, exchanging expertise and developing practical initiatives and pilot projects that could later be expanded.
Rather than establishing a new institutional structure, the Ports Club focuses on several areas of cooperation, including maritime connectivity, supply chains, trade facilitation, energy, decarbonization, digitalization and data interoperability.
The broader IMEC initiative was announced during the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi through a memorandum of understanding signed by India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union.
The proposed corridor seeks to integrate maritime and railway networks connecting India with Europe through the Gulf and Middle East. It also includes infrastructure related to energy, communications and supply chains.
Lebanon was not among the original participants in the corridor. However, its involvement in the Ports Club creates an opportunity for its two principal ports to cooperate with other ports associated with the initiative.
According to Naffi, the network also includes ports from Cyprus, Oman and Greece, alongside those associated with the original participating countries.
Diplomatic Cooperation Supports Lebanon’s Port Ambitions
Lebanon’s participation in the Ports Club followed diplomatic and commercial discussions aimed at integrating Beirut and Tripoli into the emerging trade network.
French President Emmanuel Macron previously dispatched his special envoy, Gerard Mestrallet, to Beirut. During the visit, Mestrallet discussed potential participation by the Lebanese ports with President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
These discussions coincided with the renewal of a memorandum of understanding between the ports of Beirut and Marseille-Fos in July 2026.
The original agreement, signed in 2022 for a three-year period, established a framework for cooperation between the two ports. Its renewal helped support Lebanon’s subsequent participation in the IMEC Ports Club declaration.
Lebanese authorities are also considering the eventual reactivation of the country’s railway network as part of broader efforts to develop transport connectivity and facilitate transit and re-export trade.
Naffi expects participation in the initiative to generate additional cargo movements through Lebanese ports and potentially increase government revenues. He also identified opportunities for economic activity in transportation, storage and distribution.
Lebanon Seeks Stronger Position in Eastern Mediterranean Trade
Lebanon’s port modernization plans are being pursued amid growing competition among eastern Mediterranean ports for regional and international cargo flows.
Naffi highlighted Beirut’s existing handling capacity and harbor depth as competitive advantages. He acknowledged that competition with Israeli ports is natural, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure specifications and service quality in attracting maritime business.
Lebanon is also seeking to position its ports as complementary facilities within wider regional logistics networks rather than relying exclusively on competition with neighboring ports.
The expansion of Beirut’s container terminal, development of Tripoli’s infrastructure and participation in the IMEC Ports Club are central elements of that strategy.
However, Lebanon continues to face political, security and economic uncertainties as it pursues these initiatives.
For Lebanese officials, strengthening port infrastructure and international connectivity offers a potential route toward expanding the country’s role in transit, logistics and re-export activities linking Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Source: Arab News
