Qatar to Fund Lebanon Power Project at No Cost to State

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Friday that Qatar would fund Lebanon’s electricity project at no cost to the state. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar would coordinate with the United States on southern rebuilding.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said electricity-sector plans would go before Lebanon’s Cabinet soon. “The Qatari side will fund, implement and activate the project without any cost on the Lebanese state,” Salam said.

Al Thani said QatarEnergy and France’s TotalEnergies had agreed on an initial solar project in Lebanon. Separately, he described the aim of developing a major investment project that would benefit Lebanon’s economy and the participating Qatari companies.

Qatar is working with the United States to lay groundwork for rebuilding in southern Lebanon, Al Thani said, with the goal of helping displaced residents return home. More than 300,000 people remained displaced after a June ceasefire, compared with about 1.2 million at the height of the war.

Lebanon’s state electricity company has lost about $40 billion over recent decades and provides power for only a few hours each day.