Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Energy Walid Fiad considered that "there is reason for optimism, after the CEOs of "TotalEnergies" and "Eni" expressed their optimism regarding the exploration block number 9 belonging to Lebanon." Fiad made his statements during a discussion session at the World Utilities Conference in Abu Dhabi, revealing that "oil and gas exploration work off the Lebanese coast is set to begin in September." He stated, "They will know by the end of the year whether there are discoveries."