Is Beirut back from the brink? Despite challenges for the Lebanese government, the city is getting its buzz back - Monocle
Beirut’s revival appears to be underway, with visible changes to infrastructure and daily life signaling a gradual return to normalcy. ***

Beirut’s New Era

A new government offers the long-beleaguered city a chance for renewal. “Did you see?” a friend asks on arrival in Beirut. “There are now lanes on the airport highway and the traffic lights are working.”

Driving into the Lebanese capital feels different from the last visit. Previously, the road from the airport was lined with billboards showing stern Hezbollah fighters. Now, banners proclaim a “new era for Lebanon.”

Signs of Change

Downtown streets echo with construction rather than destruction. The Grand Serail, the prime minister’s residence, is one of many buildings under scaffolding though its ornate Ottoman façade remains recognizable. The culture minister, Ghassan Salamé, notes, “The population is looking for a new paradigm. They are fed up with being told to be resilient, to smile.”

There are tangible improvements: beaches packed with people this summer, pharmacies fully stocked, and electricity more reliably available, occasionally staying on through the night. In April, Lebanon’s new finance minister signed a $250 million (€215 million) agreement with the World Bank to support renewable energy and grid resilience.

Lebanon could hardly have ended 2024 at a lower ebb.

Overall, Beirut is showing early signs of a long-awaited recovery, with a sense that the city is moving beyond past crises toward renewed vitality.

Author's Summary

Beirut is gradually recovering, with infrastructural improvements, renewed energy sectors, and a sense of renewed optimism amid ongoing challenges.

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Monocle Monocle — 2025-11-20

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