Indications that Saudi Arabia is preparing to lift its ban on agricultural imports from Lebanon have renewed expectations within the sector. The ban was originally imposed after drug smuggling networks used agricultural shipments to traffic narcotics, resulting in wide trade disruption.
Tony Tohme, head of the Economic Committee at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture in Zahle and the Bekaa, said the expected move "marks a highly significant development and a major boost for the Lebanese economy." He said it is "a positive measure that has long been awaited and one we have worked for through long and continuous meetings, because it reopens the largest and most important market for Lebanese agricultural production." Tohme added that "Lebanon paid a heavy economic price because of the ban," noting that the Bekaa region, which makes up 43 per cent of Lebanon's territory, was directly affected because many households depend on farming.
Before 2021, agricultural exports to Saudi Arabia ranged between US$40 million and US$50 million annually. These exports supported broader economic activity, including land transport to Gulf states. Lebanon's trade deficit reached about US$885 million in 2024, according to estimates by the ministries of industry and agriculture and the chambers of commerce.
Tohme said the ban not only blocked shipments to Saudi Arabia but also prevented Lebanese trucks from crossing Saudi territory to reach other Gulf destinations. Exporters shifted to sea freight, which he said is costly and unsuitable for fresh produce because longer transit times reduce quality and increase the risk of oversupplied arrivals.
He said lifting the ban "will not only revive Lebanese vegetables and fruits but will also restore balance to the land transport sector, especially refrigerated trucks, which collapsed entirely after the ban and the halt of overland passage through Saudi Arabia." He added that exporters are prepared to cooperate on quality assurance to safeguard the reputation of Lebanese agriculture.
Ibrahim Tarshishi, head of the National Farmers' Union, said Saudi Arabia's readiness to reopen its markets "brought hope back to the agricultural sector after three and a half years of losses." Farmers received the news "with immense joy and great longing for the return of normal relations with the kingdom."
Tarshishi said Lebanon exported "between 500,000 and 550,000 tons a year" before the ban, then "between 200,000 and 300,000 tons" afterward, a drop of more than 50 per cent. He added that Saudi Arabia "has historically been the primary market for Lebanese agricultural products," and some crops, such as lettuce, stopped being planted because they were traditionally exported by land routes that are unsuitable for long sea transport.
He said lifting the ban "is not merely an economic measure but a key to a comprehensive solution," adding that it reflects renewed confidence in Lebanon's authorities. He added, "When the kingdom opens its doors, other Arab doors open with it."
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat
