Beirut Port, World Bank launch study on economic and urban integration
The Port of Beirut, in cooperation with the World Bank, has launched a comprehensive study aimed at developing a strategic vision to strengthen economic and urban integration between the port and its immediate surroundings.
The World Bank Group-funded initiative will provide technical assistance drawing on local and international expertise and include a series of specialized workshops, culminating in a final presentation of the findings.
Port of Beirut Chairman and Director General Marwan Naffa said the port administration had been committed since taking office to building a more integrated relationship between the port and the city.
The Port of Beirut and the city do not operate in isolation from one another, Naffa said, adding that the objective was to enable the city to benefit from the port while allowing the port to continue fulfilling its economic and development role.
He said the World Bank would finance the study to develop a practical framework serving both sides and the public interest.
World Bank Group Country Manager for Lebanon Enrique Blanco Armas said the initiative came at a particularly timely moment, alongside the strategic vision launched by the port.
The value of the port lies not only in its size, but also in the jobs, services and economic activity that surround it, he said, reaffirming the World Bank’s technical support for the initiative.
