Qatari Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al-Sulaiti expressed his country's interest in presenting Qatar's transport file to Lebanon, stating that Doha is "prepared to assist the Lebanese authorities in obtaining buses capable of operating within the current Lebanese infrastructure." Al-Sulaiti told the Minister of Economy in the caretaker government, Amin Salam, whom he met today at the ministry in Doha, that "Qatar is ready to provide all studies and systems to Lebanon, especially those that Doha has conducted to improve its land, maritime, and air transport sectors, noting that these studies and systems shorten the implementation of projects for the Lebanese state by 50% and save the state millions of dollars."
This initiative comes on the sidelines of Salam's visit with a delegation of businesspeople to Qatar, aimed at seeking solutions to the Lebanese economic crises, as well as increasing investment opportunities between the two countries.
The importance of the Qatari proposal lies in its potential to ease the burdens on the Lebanese economy, as the weakness of the transport sector in Lebanon is considered one of the main causes of high fuel bills in hard currencies, along with the significant burdens that Lebanese people, particularly public sector employees and students, endure.
After discussing mutual interests between Lebanon and Qatar during their meeting, Salam and Al-Sulaiti exchanged views on the significance of this sector in creating essential incentives to support any national economy, which Lebanon currently lacks.
It is noteworthy that Minister Salam opened the Lebanese pavilion at the Qatar Expo on Wednesday, in the presence of Qatari Minister of Municipalities Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, where he will meet visitors at the exhibition alongside a wide group of Lebanese and Qatari businesspeople before returning to Beirut today.
