Lebanese products are once again entering the Saudi market, carrying with them more than just goods and commodities; they carry a message of confidence that has been rebuilt after years of pause, and an economic opportunity that Lebanon has been eagerly awaiting. The return of the Saudi market - which alone represents about 85 percent of the size of the Gulf market - is not only a restoration of what was lost when exports reached about $378 million before the 2021 ban, but also opens the door to greater ambitions to expand the Lebanese presence in this vast market. This strategic shift is supported by advanced digital inspection mechanisms that meet current requirements, confirming that the transition to the greater Gulf market is no longer based on intentions, but on compliance with strict standards that ensure the stability and preservation of this historic partnership. On Saturday, the "whistle" sounded from Beirut for the return of Lebanese exports to the Kingdom, after a long ban of five years, which was imposed following widespread smuggling of contraband to the Kingdom. Rabih el-Amine, Chairman of the Lebanese Executives Council, an economic and social gathering that includes a group of elite Lebanese professionals residing in the Kingdom and Gulf countries, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the return of Lebanese exports to the Kingdom is a step that goes beyond its direct commercial dimension. "In essence, it is a restoration of trust, which represents the real capital in any sustainable economic relationship," he stressed. "With this decision, Beirut is regaining its gateway to the most important export markets of all, bringing life back to its productive sectors in agriculture and industry, and hope to thousands of farmers in the Bekaa, the south, and the north, as well as to the factories that have survived in the most difficult conditions," he added. He said the ban was lifted "at a time when the country's economy needs everything that drives it forward and secures job opportunities and the flow of hard currency." Trade exchange As for the Kingdom, el-Amine said that the decision, which came in implementation of the directives of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and in response to the request of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, "embodies a firm Saudi position in support of Lebanon's stability and sovereignty over all its territory." "It confirms that Beirut is regaining its role as a reliable partner whose territory is not used as a launching pad to harm its brothers," he stated. "More importantly, this return was not based on intentions, but on concrete measures, from modern scanning devices in the ports of Beirut and Tripoli to the joint control mechanism that allows the port of Jeddah to view the results of the inspection as soon as the goods pass through," he explained. Rabih el-Amine, Chairman of the Lebanese Executives Council. He revealed that the Kingdom topped the Lebanese export markets before the ban. "In 2014 and 2015, it ranked first with about 12 percent of our total exports, with a value of about 378 million dollars in 2014, according to data from the Lebanese Customs and the Chamber of Commerce, while bilateral trade was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually." "The 2021 decision reduced this presence to almost zero. Our share in the Saudi market fell to about 3 percent in 2021, while the Kingdom's exports to Beirut continued and reached about $870 million in 2024, which reveals the size of the imbalance that we are seeking to correct today," el-Amine remarked. The ambition, as expressed by PM Salam, is "not only to restore the figure to what it was before the ban, but to surpass it," he continued. "The Saudi market alone represents about 85 percent of the size of the Gulf market, and if we offer a high-quality, competitively priced product, we can double our share, not just regain it," he noted. Export products Agricultural and food products top Lebanon's exports to Saudi Arabia, such fruits and vegetables including apples, grapes, citrus fruits, cherries, and potatoes, as well as food industries and canned products. These are commodities linked to production, processing, and marketing chains that employ thousands of families. In addition, there are high-value Lebanese categories that the Kingdom has consistently imported, from jewelry and precious metals to cosmetics, essential oils, and some industrial and pharmaceutical products. Plastics and their products lead Saudi exports to Lebanon, followed by petroleum products, fuel, and mineral oils, then pharmaceutical and processed foodstuffs. Demands of the Saudi market El-Amine said that the Lebanese Executives Council provides exporters with an accurate reading of the Saudi market and its requirements, in terms of specifications, standards, compliance and logistics services. "We connect Lebanese companies with their potential partners through bilateral meetings, delegations and forums, and we accompany entrepreneurs in preparing their products to the level of quality that this market deserves," he added. He called for protecting and preserving this step in the long term through two tracks. "The first is to tighten security measures at crossings and borders in a way that prevents any recurrence of what led to the ban; and the second is to harmonize tax and financial procedures between the two countries," he suggested. "It is the responsibility of the Lebanese exporters themselves to align their products with the specifications and standards adopted in the Kingdom, as the quality of the product and its compliance with the standards are its permanent pass to this market," he stressed.
