Lebanonupdated 51m ago2 min read
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani Pledges To Revive Lebanon’s Electricity Sector
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Qatar to finance and implement a major electricity project including solar plant in Lebanon. Doha will bolster Lebanon's energy sector and support reconstruction in the south.
28 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Marco Rubio Urges Joseph Aoun Not To Return Seized Explosives To Hezbollah →
Arab News was read line by line by the Watchdog: 2.2. See the score →
Qatar backs electricity revival
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani pledged to help revive Lebanon’s ailing energy sector and solve chronic problems in providing reliable electricity during a visit to Beirut. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Qatar would carry out and finance a project aimed at rehabilitating, developing, and modernizing the electricity production infrastructure at a lower cost.
Sheikh Mohammed said the initiative was an “old project that Qatar had discussed with Lebanon... for years,” adding it was now “about to see the light of day.” Lebanon’s electricity sector has cost Lebanon more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, and successive governments have failed to reduce losses or repair crumbling infrastructure.
Massive solar plan announced
Sheikh Mohammed announced plans to set up what he described as a “massive” solar plant in Lebanon during his visit to Beirut on Friday. QatarEnergy reached an agreement with French company TotalEnergies to jointly develop a solar power plant in Lebanon as an initial project, with the aim of developing a major investment project “that would benefit the Lebanese economy, as well as the Qatari companies and entities participating in it.”
Salam said he would put the plans for Lebanon’s electricity sector to the Lebanese Cabinet soon, and he said the Qatari side would fund, implement and activate the project “without any cost on the Lebanese state.” The state electricity company provides only a few hours of electricity a day, and the state, until a year ago, took advances from the Central Bank when diesel fuel ran out.
Energy ties amid border war
Sheikh Mohammed told Lebanese leaders in Beirut that Qatar supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and national institutions while calling for Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory and hand over control to the Lebanese army. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Qatari government for “the support Lebanon receives in all fields,” and he hoped Qatar would continue efforts to pressure Israel to stop its aggression in the south and implement the framework agreement reached under American sponsorship.
The Qatari prime minister also said Qatar is working in coordination with the United States to help lay the groundwork for future reconstruction in southern Lebanon to allow displaced people to return to their homes. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks have killed more than 4,300 people in the country since March, and about 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon at the height of the war, with more than 300,000 still displaced after the June ceasefire.