Saudi Arabia to Boost Lebanon Trade After Smuggling Crackdown

Saudi Arabia said it will take “imminent steps” to boost trade with Lebanon after Lebanese authorities showed progress in stopping drug smuggling into the kingdom, a senior Saudi official said.

Relations between Riyadh and Beirut have been tense for years, largely due to the influence of Hezbollah in Lebanese politics and Saudi concerns that Lebanese territory was being used to ship the drug Captagon into Gulf markets.

The Saudi official said Lebanese security forces had been effective in curbing drug exports in recent months. A Saudi delegation is expected to visit Lebanon soon to work on removing barriers to Lebanese imports and exports.

• Saudi Arabia Plans to Boost Trade with Lebanon After Crackdown on Drug Smuggling
• Riyadh Praises Lebanon’s Anti-Captagon Efforts, Signals Reopening of Trade Channels
• Lebanon–Saudi Trade Ties Set to Improve as Security Cooperation Strengthens

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam thanked Saudi Arabia for its readiness to reopen trade channels and said his government would support efforts to restore the flow of goods.

Saudi Arabia had banned all Lebanese imports in 2021, citing Captagon smuggling and the role of Lebanon’s border regions. The ban had worsened Lebanon’s economic crisis, especially hurting agricultural exports to Gulf markets.

Also Read: Ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal’s Startup Parallel Bags $100 Mn Funding

Despite plans to resume trade, Saudi officials said they still expect Lebanon to move ahead with disarming Hezbollah. Lebanon approved a plan in September to begin disarmament south of the Litani River, but progress has been slow amid fears of sectarian backlash.