The Gathering of Lebanese Leaders and Business Leaders (RDCL) organized an interactive session for its members, entitled « The Seven-Axis Energy Sector Reform Plan: Private Sector Contributions and Emerging Business Opportunities », at the InterContinental Phoenicia Hotel in the framework of the Beirut Energy Forum 2026, with the participation of the Minister of Energy and Water, His Excellency Joe Saddi; the Senior Energy Expert at the World Bank, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria Kamh; the Board member of the Lebanese Investment Development Authority (IDAL), Mr. Abbas Ramadan; and energy finance specialist Carol Ayat Boukather. The session was moderated by Dalia Jubaili, a member of the Board of Directors of the DRCL and a member of the Board of Directors of Jubaili Bros, together with the secretary of the Lebanese section of the World Energy Council, Pierre El Khoury.
The session opened with a welcoming address by the President of the DRCL, Ms Joumana Saddi Chaya, who stressed that electricity is not just a budget line but a pillar of economic growth, announcing that the Rassemblement is in the process of creating an energy committee to transform plans into concrete projects and business opportunities, within the framework of a partnership between the private and public sectors.
Moderator Dalia Jubaili said that, over the past four decades, the Rassemblement has been a voice of confidence for the private sector, defending its interests and advocating reforms conducive to investment, growth and job creation. She stressed that this interactive session brings together government, investors and the private sector to transform energy plans into concrete projects.
For his part, the Minister of Energy and Water, His Excellency Mr. Joe Saddi, pointed out that the bulk of the solution will come from the private sector, and that the role of the department is to define the framework and chart the direction, and then to leave room for the private sector. He reviewed the seven axes of the plan: increasing conventional production capacity, renewable energy, transition to natural gas, regional electricity interconnection, development of transmission lines, reduction of non-technical losses and reorganization of distribution, as well as reforms, including the implementation of Law 462 and activation of the Energy Regulatory Authority. He noted that a number of immediate opportunities are now being offered to the private sector, stating that investors need a clear and stable regulatory framework, and stressing the diplomatic dimension of the energy issue and the importance of diversifying supply sources and ensuring their security.
The lead energy expert at the World Bank, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria Kamh, said achieving the reform goals requires political will and monitoring at the highest level, welcoming the resilience of the Lebanese private sector. He called for the adoption of a single window for licensing and authorisations and the optimal exploitation of existing decentralized renewable energy capacities, saying that the Bank provides financing, knowledge and best practices, and that implementation remains dependent on political will.
Energy finance specialist Carol Ayat Boukather stressed that reducing the cost of electricity is an essential condition for economic recovery and the emergence of new industries capable of competitiveness. It called for a rapid and unified process for licensing small projects, stating that public-private partnership projects are essential to achieve a plan at the lowest cost, and that the inability of investors to assess sovereign risk requires banking and financial reform as well as international guarantees supported by the World Bank.
Mr Abbas Ramadan, member of the IDAL Board of Directors, stated that investor confidence is built on stability, credible regulatory bodies and predictable policies, stating that renewable energy projects are the prerogative of the Authority, which offers incentives and tax exemptions to support them, and that what is required today is to make the decision and shorten the distance between interest and implementation.
As for Mr. Pierre El Khoury, he explained that the main objective of the event was to develop integrated technical solutions that could be brought to the political stage, so that requests from the private sector were forwarded to the Council of Ministers and the relevant administrations.
In conclusion, participants agreed that the technical roadmap is now clear and that a number of immediate opportunities are available, but that large-scale investment remains hampered by sovereign risk, slow approval procedures and the pace of legislative and regulatory implementation. They stated that the activation of the regulatory authority and the modernisation of legislation are a priority for restructuring the sector, and that all seven axes converge towards a single objective: reliable and affordable electricity that supports growth and restores confidence, stressing the need to move from planning to implementation. The Rassemblement stated that it will continue its work with the parties concerned to transform the commitments into realized projects.
