Port of Beirut seeks urban integration and expansion

The Port of Beirut management, in collaboration with the World Bank, held a workshop titled ‘Integration and Communication between the City and the Port’ to discuss urban recovery and strategic development.

Marwan Al-Nafi, Chairman and Director General of the Port of Beirut, emphasized the need for ‘harmony and reconciliation’ between the port and the city. He noted that 139 years of port operations alongside Beirut's urban expansion have created conflicts between the two, a challenge exacerbated by the August 4 explosion. Al-Nafi stated that the goal is to enhance integration rather than limit the port's role, noting that it handles over 80% of trade movement. He also highlighted plans for expansion that aim to make it one of the ten largest ports in the Mediterranean and the largest in the eastern basin.

The workshop included technical presentations from World Bank urban affairs specialist Ban Idlibi and academic contributions from experts discussing pedestrian-oriented development, spatial continuity, and institutional governance.