Significant steps are underway to reopen René Moawad Airport in Qlayaat, northern Lebanon, as authorities aim to revitalize the facility and boost regional connectivity.

Parliamentary committees recently approved an amendment to the public-private partnership (PPP) law, clearing the way for its passage in parliament. The amendment is designed to facilitate private sector participation in financing and operating state development projects, starting with the airport’s rehabilitation.

Once members of the PPP board are appointed, the process of soliciting investor bids is expected to begin, with the contract likely to be awarded in the first quarter of 2026.

LBCI channel cited sources within the Ministry of Public Works as saying that the rehabilitation project is projected to take no more than three years. The airport will operate under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, under which the investor will finance and manage the facility for an agreed period before transferring ownership back to the state.

Interest has already been expressed by a Saudi company, an Emirati company, a French firm, and several Lebanese business groups, according to ministry sources.

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny visited the site earlier this month, announcing that work on the airport will officially begin at the start of 2026.