Lebanon and KSA discuss lifting ban on Lebanese exports

On November 17, 2025, a Saudi technical committee arrived in Lebanon and met with key Lebanese officials, including the Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail.

The visit comes prior to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington and following the Kingdom’s ongoing disengagement with regards to Lebanon.

The grand serail meeting

A meeting was held at the Grand Serail between Lebanese government officials (including the Prime Minister as well as the Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bassat and the Minister if Interior and Municipalities Ahmad al-Hajjar) and a Saudi technical-security delegation headed by the Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan, with the Kingdom’s ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, also in attendance.

The meeting was reportedly purely technical, and among the points discussed were those related to Lebanon’s continued efforts to control border crossings, closely monitor everything passing through them.

Minister Bassat clarified that 3 main files currently being worked on were:

-          Lifting the ban imposed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Lebanese exports.

-          Lifting the ban imposed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on travellers.

-          Commercial agreements between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

He claimed that this is a process, and what is important is that discussions around it have begun.

Meanwhile, PM Salam posted on his X account, “Today, I received the Saudi delegation visiting Lebanon to discuss the procedures for resuming Lebanese exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” He claimed to have “requested all relevant authorities to work swiftly to remove any obstacles preventing the return of this important source of support for Lebanon’s economy.” Nawaf added that this “initiative came in response to what was discussed during the meeting between His Excellency President Joseph Aoun and my meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” The PM boasted “the positions of His Highness and the Kingdom in supporting Lebanon and its stability are acknowledged by all,” believing that “they have our utmost appreciation, gratitude, and lasting affection.” Additionally, Salam reaffirmed his commitment that

Lebanon would not be used as a platform to undermine the security of its Arab brothers, nor as a passageway for smuggling drugs or any prohibited substances.

A promising sign of Saudi engagement?

Some observers view the arrival of this delegation to Lebanon as a positive sign towards reinitiating a Saudi engagement policy towards Beirut.

KSA’s support and engagement with Lebanon has been shelved in recent years, as Hezbollah dominated the domestic political scene. This policy led to withdrawal of crucial diplomatic and economic backing, from a country with significant political and economic weight both regionally and globally (even vying to become not a regional power, but also a medium one).

From here, PM Nawaf Salam also “welcomed the Saudi delegation participating in the Beirut One Conference, whose presence in Beirut provides significant momentum for Lebanon’s economic recovery.” The conference, which will be held on November 18 and 19, presents the first phase of an investment-driven recovery, and aims to regain Lebanon’s most depleted resource: trust. Therefore, Riyadh’s presence and participation would signal a promising step for the country’s diplomatic and economic recovery.