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Great News: Lebanese Gov’t Reverses Controversial Beach Decrees, Reclaims Public Coastline
In a promising move for Lebanon’s coastline and public property, the Cabinet has officially revoked three controversial decrees passed during the final weeks of former Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government. These decrees had allowed private companies to seize and commercialize large chunks of public beachfront, violating the law and with no public interest in mind.
This reversal is being seen as a major step forward in reclaiming Lebanon’s coastal public property and putting an end to years of unchecked privatization. It also signals a shift toward protecting the country’s natural resources and pushing back against decades of illegal exploitation that followed the civil war.
Credit goes to Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s successor, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Public Works Minister Fayez Rasamni, for taking this bold step.
What were these decrees?
According to Legal Agenda, the three decrees handed over nearly 150,000 square meters of Lebanon’s public coastline to private hands:
- Decree 14331 (Al-Bahsas) granted Palma Resort over 76,000 m² of the coast under the guise of a law meant to regulate wartime violations. But the violations in question actually occurred in 2011-2012, decades after the war ended.
- Decree 14379 (Zouk Bhannine, Akkar) gave members of the Dabbousi family rights to more than 53,000 m² to build a private port—likely for oil shipping—without even clarifying its exact purpose. This was done with no input from Lebanon’s top urban planning body and came with suspicious land acquisitions to link the site to the main road.
- Decree 14620 (Qlayleh, Sour) handed over 14,560 m² of coastline to a company that no longer exists. The land is in a zone designated for agriculture, and again, this went against the advice of urban planning authorities.
Who challenged them?
A group of environmental organizations including Green Line Association, Green Southerners, and Legal Agenda all took legal action to challenge the decrees. Legal Agenda also published detailed legal analyses outlining how the decrees violated Lebanese laws.
In response to the pressure, the government confirmed that it had asked for a full legal review of the decrees, ultimately leading to their cancellation.
Why does it matter?
This move is being hailed as a rare and important win for Lebanon’s public space. It not only blocks further illegal land grabs but also opens the door to reversing years of damage done to the coast—damage often carried out with little accountability and behind closed doors.
We hope that this decision marks the beginning of a serious effort to reclaim what belongs to the people, and to preserve what’s left of the country’s stunning natural coastline.
