Beirut port’s container terminal is operating at full capacity and is being expanded to handle up to 2.5 million containers, the port’s director general told AlQahera News on Tuesday.
The port is expected to surpass one million containers in 2026, Marwan al-Nafi said, adding that global shipping companies were showing growing interest and investors were increasingly looking at the facility.
“We have future plans to develop the port and increase its operational and investment capacity,” he said, describing Beirut port as one of the oldest in the Mediterranean and of major strategic importance.
He said political developments involving the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb had provided an incentive to rehabilitate and upgrade the port’s infrastructure.
“Security and safety are our priority, especially after the August 4, 2020 explosion,” al-Nafi said, referring to the massive blast that devastated parts of Beirut and killed more than 200 people.
The port applies the highest security and safety standards and aims to rank among the safest ports, he said.
It also implements the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and has security officers overseeing safety and security procedures, he added.
