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3. Illegally Privatized Coastline: End of Impunity or a Mere Political Posturing?

After decades of laissez-faire, has the tide finally turned? Breaking with a long-standing tradition of complacency toward violations of the coastline, the government of Nawaf Salam has withdrawn three controversial decrees adopted under the Mikati administration. These decrees had legitimized the appropriation of over 140,000 square meters of public maritime domain in Ras Maska (Bahsas), Zouk Bhanine (Akkar) and al-Klaileh (Tyre) – a first in Lebanon’s recent history.

Since the end of the Civil War in 1990, the state has turned a blind eye to the rampant exploitation of the coast: illegally privatized beaches, makeshift ports and marinas, and thriving beach resorts built on public land. Law No. 64/2017 attempted to regulate these abuses, limiting any regularization to encroachments prior to 1994. It was in vain: Decree No. 14331 granted a 76,140 m² stretch of seafront in Bahsas to a private entity. Decrees 14331 and 14620 respectively granted 53,000 m² in Bhanine and 14,560 m² in al-Klaileh to private actors – some of whom did not even legally exist.

A Strong Gesture… But Is It Enough?

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber insists: “This is not about selling state property, but about managing it intelligently.” It is about effective management and rational use, for the benefit of public finances and the national economy. Still, for this political will to be credible, it must be accompanied by a comprehensive reform, starting with a revision of the ridiculously low fees imposed on occupiers. The last rate chart from 2018, which divided the coastline into 30 zones, set an annual rent of 40,000 LL/m² in Arida, compared to 9 million LL in Solidere. Today, these amounts are negligible, given the collapse of the Lebanese pound.

A Coastline Held Hostage

As early as 2017, the Ministry of Public Works recorded 1,068 illegal occupations of the coast, including 333 beach resorts alone occupying 1.5 million m². In total, approximately 5.5 million m² of maritime domain is currently being squatted – half illegally. This number continues to rise.

In 2024, the army began a large-scale mapping of the coastline, a task interrupted in the south by the war between Hezbollah and Israel. It is a monumental task, but essential to restoring state authority over its property – much like its policy in the south.

The question remains: Will the annulment of these three decrees mark the beginning of real change, or is it merely a smokescreen meant to appease a public outraged by the impunity of the powerful?