Qatar pledges a lifeline for Lebanon’s economy, power grid and
reconstruction in the south
[October 17, 2026] By
BASSEM MROUE
BEIRUT (AP) — Qatar will help Lebanon revive its struggling economy,
including by rehabilitating its crumbling electricity sector and
supporting the future reconstruction of the country’s south, the Qatari
prime minister said Friday.
Qatar will continue to support the Lebanese army “as a national
institution that safeguards the country’s security, unity and
stability," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al
Thani said after meeting in Beirut with his Lebanese counterpart Nawaf
Salam.
For years, Qatar has been a friendly country to Lebanon and a mediator
for domestic and international political crises in the region. Qatar has
also given tens of millions of dollars to the Lebanese army since
Lebanon’s economic meltdown began in 2019.
The Qatari official said that QatarEnergy has reached an agreement with
French company TotalEnergies to jointly develop a solar power plant in
Lebanon as an initial project. He said that the aim is to develop a
major investment project “that would benefit the Lebanese economy, as
well as the Qatari companies and entities participating in it.”
Salam said that he will put the plans for Lebanon’s electricity sector
to the Lebanese Cabinet soon.
“The Qatari side will fund, implement and activate the project without
any cost on the Lebanese state,” Salam said, adding that such a move is
important because of Lebanon’s financial crisis.
Lebanon’s state electricity company is one of the country’s biggest
sources of debt, hemorrhaging about $40 billion over the past decades
with a bloated workforce and outdated infrastructure. The company
provides only a few hours of electricity each day, and the state, until
a year ago, had taken advances from the Central Bank when diesel fuel
ran out.
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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, left, welcomes Qatar's Prime
Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani after
reviewing an honor guard at the Government Palace in Beirut,
Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
 Earlier in the day, Qatar’s prime
minister met with Lebanon’s president and parliamentary speaker and
discussed with them the situation in southern Lebanon, where Israel
captured dozens of villages and towns earlier this year during the
latest Israel-Hezbollah war. Over the past several months, Israel
has carried out large-scale demolitions in villages that its troops
occupy.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began when Hezbollah fired rockets
into northern Israel in early March, two days after the U.S. and
Israel began attacking Iran, the Lebanese group’s main backer, on
Feb. 28.
The Qatari official said that Israel should withdraw from Lebanon
and cease its attacks in the country. He said that Qatar is working
in coordination with the United States to help lay the groundwork
for future reconstruction in southern Lebanon, in a manner that
would allow displaced people to return to their homes.
About 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon at the height of
the war. Most have returned home since a June ceasefire, but more
than 300,000 remain displaced, according to the International
Organization for Migration.
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