NNA - The Lebanese Business Leaders Association (RDCL) held an interactive session, exclusive to its members, titled "The Seven-Paths Reform Plan for the Energy Sector: Private Sector Contributions and Emerging Business Opportunities," at the InterContinental Phoenicia Hotel as part of "Beirut Energy Forum 2026," with the participation of the Minister of Energy and Water, H.E. Mr. Joe Saddi; the Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria Kamh; the Board Member of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), Mr. Abbas Ramadan; and the Energy Finance Specialist, Ms. Carol Ayat Boukather. The session was moderated by RDCL Board Member Ms. Dalia Jubaili, Board Member of Jubaili Bros, together with the Secretary of the Lebanon Member Committee of the World Energy Council, Mr. Pierre El Khoury.
The session opened with a welcome address by RDCL President Ms. Joumana Saddi Chaya, who stressed that electricity is not a line in the budget but a pillar of economic growth, announcing that the association is establishing a dedicated energy committee tasked with turning plans into tangible projects and business opportunities through public-private partnership.
The session's moderator, Ms. Dalia Jubaili, noted that for four decades RDCL has been a trusted voice for the private sector, defending its interests and advocating reforms that support investment, growth and job creation. She pointed out that the interactive session brings together the government, investors and the private sector with the aim of turning energy plans into tangible projects.
For his part, the Minister of Energy and Water, H.E. Mr. Joe Saddi, stressed that the largest part of the solution will come from the private sector, and that the Ministry's role is to set the framework and chart the direction, then make way for the private sector. He reviewed the plan's seven paths: increasing conventional generation capacity, renewable energy, the transition to natural gas, regional electrical interconnection, developing transmission lines, addressing non-technical losses and reorganizing distribution, and reforms — foremost the implementation of Law 462 and the activation of the energy regulatory authority. He noted that a number of immediate opportunities have become available to the private sector, affirming that investors need a clear and stable regulatory framework, and pointing to the diplomatic dimension of the energy file and the importance of diversifying supply sources and securing supply.
The Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria Kamh, considered that achieving the reform objectives requires political will and follow-up at the highest levels, praising the resilience of the Lebanese private sector. He called for adopting a single window for licenses and permits and for making the most of the existing capacities of distributed renewable energy, affirming that the Bank provides financing, knowledge and best practices, and that implementation remains contingent on political will.
The Energy Finance Specialist, Ms. Carol Ayat Boukather, stressed that lowering the cost of electricity is an essential condition for the economy's recovery and for the emergence of new industries capable of competing. She called for a fast and unified track to license small-scale projects, affirming that public-private partnership projects are essential to reaching a least-cost plan, and that investors' inability to price sovereign risk calls for banking and financial reform and international guarantees backed by the World Bank.
The Board Member of IDAL, Mr. Abbas Ramadan, considered that investor confidence is built on stability, the presence of credible regulators and predictable policies, explaining that renewable-energy projects fall within the Authority's remit, which offers incentives and tax exemptions to support them, and that what is required today is to take the decision and shorten the distance between interest and implementation.
As for Mr. Pierre El Khoury, he explained that the foremost objective of the event is to formulate integrated technical solutions that can be raised to the political arena, so that the private sector's demands are conveyed to the Council of Ministers and the relevant administrations.
In conclusion, the participants agreed that the technical roadmap has become clear and that a number of immediate opportunities are now available, yet investment at scale remains constrained by sovereign risk, the slow pace of approval processes, and the pace of legislative and regulatory implementation. They affirmed that activating the regulatory authority and updating legislation is a priority for restructuring the sector, and that the seven paths all converge toward a single goal: reliable, affordable electricity that supports growth and restores confidence, stressing the need to move from planning to execution. The Association affirmed that it will continue working with the relevant stakeholders to turn commitments into completed projects.
