BEIRUT - The Port of Beirut, in cooperation with the World Bank, launched a study on August 21 to develop a strategic vision to strengthen economic and urban integration between the port and its surrounding areas.
The initiative, funded by the World Bank Group, will provide technical assistance drawing on local and international expertise. It will include a series of specialized workshops before the findings are presented at a final workshop.
Developing a Stronger Port-City Relationship
Marwan Naffi, chairman and general manager of the Port of Beirut, said the port’s administration has been committed since the beginning of its mandate to strengthening integration with the surrounding city.
Naffi stressed the importance of establishing a more seamless relationship that would allow greater economic interaction between the port and its immediate surroundings.
“The Port of Beirut is distinguished by its location within the city’s urban fabric,” Naffi said, noting that several ports worldwide are similarly located within cities and form part of their economic and urban identity.
He said ports have historically played an important role in the growth and development of cities. However, as cities expanded and their functions changed, the need emerged for a more integrated and organized relationship between ports and their surrounding areas.
“The Port of Beirut and the city do not operate independently of one another,” Naffi said. The objective, he added, is to develop an approach that allows the city to benefit from the port’s presence while enabling the port to continue fulfilling its economic and development role.
Naffi said the administration aims to make the port a source of pride for the city and its residents while establishing a more efficient relationship with its surroundings.
World Bank Technical Support
Naffi said the World Bank would finance the study to develop a practical framework for achieving greater integration and identifying the best possible approach to serve both the port and the city, as well as the broader public interest.
He thanked the World Bank for its support and confidence in the project.
Enrique Blanco Armas, head of the World Bank Group office in Lebanon, said the initiative comes at an appropriate time and is aligned with the strategic vision recently launched by the port.
“The value of the port lies not only in its size, but also in the jobs, services and economy that revolve around it,” Armas said.
He confirmed the World Bank’s commitment to providing technical support and assistance as part of the initiative.
The study is expected to provide a framework for strengthening the relationship between the Port of Beirut and the city while supporting the port’s wider economic and development contribution.
