Jounieh: Jounieh’s Touristic Port was officially reopened last night under the banner ‘Jounieh Touristic Port. A Sea of Opportunities,’ in a ceremony held under the patronage of Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun, represented by Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, and upon the invitation of MP Neemat Frem. The initiative marks a milestone in public-private partnership aimed at reviving one of Lebanon’s key coastal gateways.
According to National News Agency – Lebanon, the event drew wide official and public participation, including Minister of Tourism Laura El-Khazen Lahoud, MPs Nada Boustany, Chawki Daccache, Simon Abi Ramia, Elias Hankach, Camille Chamoun, and Elias Bou Saab, in addition to Kataeb representative Michel Hakim, Bishop John Rafic El-Warsha, acting District Governor of Keserwan Strida Nabhan, Keserwan Municipal Union head Elias Baainou, Jounieh Mayor Faysal Frem, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Cyprus Jean Mourad, presidential adviser Antoine Safir, and T©l© Liban Chairwoman Elissar Naddaf.
The evening opened with the national anthem, followed by welcoming remarks. Frem, who spearheaded the initiative, thanked the President for his sponsorship and Minister Rasamny for his support, stressing that without their backing the project would not have materialized. He hailed the relentless efforts of the Ministry of Transport’s Director General Ahmad Tamer and his team, as well as local authorities and institutions.
Frem underscored the urgent need for the private sector to stand by the state in times of crisis, likening the public sector to ‘parents whom we must support in old age and illness.’ He recalled how successive generations have known Jounieh Touristic Port: the golden years of the 1960s, the lifeline of the 1980s, and now a renewed beacon for Lebanon’s youth, tourists, and economy.
Moreover, Frem emphasized the port’s strategic role as a gateway to Europe through Cyprus, just 200 kilometers away, and called on operators to supply vessels to connect Lebanon with Cyprus, Turkey, and beyond.
In turn, Minister Rasamny, representing the President of the Republic, highlighted the symbolic and practical significance of the reopening. He noted that Jounieh had enjoyed a successful summer season despite traffic congestion, and stressed that Beirut Airport, handling six million passengers today, should reach its capacity of 12 million if the pace of recent reforms continues.
Rasamny further revealed that a committee has been formed to address expropriations linked to the Jounieh highway expansion project, pledging responsiveness to citizens’ concerns.
On the port itself, Rasamny said he had asked Frem from the outset to provide technical support given the severe staffing shortages in the state, while expressing readiness to sign off on the project. He pointed to Cyprus as a model, with four airports and five million summer visitors, compared to Lebanon’s 1.5 million, arguing that activating the port could spark year-round tourism, boost guesthouses, now numbering 400, and energize hotels.
Rasamny further emphasized the complementarity of Lebanon’s ports: Beirut for trade, Tripoli for transit and Syria’s reconstruction, and Jounieh for tourism. He also referred to pending updates to Lebanon’s public-private partnership law to encourage investors amid the country’s financial crisis.
The ceremony concluded with the ribbon-cutting, the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, and a tour of the renovated port, followed by musical performances, a cocktail reception, and fireworks.
The reopening of Jounieh Touristic Port, shuttered for three decades, is expected to generate significant tourism benefits and inject fresh momentum into the local economy.
More broadly, it was presented as a tangible example of how productive collaboration between the public and private sectors can deliver growth and renewal even in times of national strain.