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Lebanon Preparing To Build New $70 Million Airport Terminal

The construction of the second terminal is hoped to increase the capacity of the airport from 8 million passengers a year today to 20 million by 2030.

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3 years ago

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lebanon preparing to build new $70 million airport terminal
Directorate General Of Civil Aviation

Lebanon’s only international airport in Beirut is moving one step closer to the construction of its second terminal. According to Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamie, the crisis-stricken country will soon launch an international tender for the $70 million project.

Once constructed, the state-of-the-art terminal will be used for chartered and low-cost flights, as well those carrying Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The construction of the new terminal, together with other expansions and technological improvements, is hoped to increase the capacity of the airport from 8 million passengers a year today to 20 million by 2030, as stated on the website of national carrier Middle East Airlines.

beirut international airport terminal 2

In the coming months, large numbers of travelers are expected to visit Lebanon and generate substantial revenue for the country, whose tourism sector alone corresponds to 7.5 percent of its gross domestic product.

“Occupancy rates are full at airlines and hotels,” Minister of Tourism Walid Nassar said in reference to the summer season. “Lebanese expatriates and foreigners who love Lebanon will come to Lebanon and it will be a promising summer.”

Also Read: Google Contributed Billions To The Middle East Economy In 2021

The capacity to comfortably welcome more travelers to the country would provide a nice economic boost for Lebanon, which is experiencing the first financial crisis in its modern history. What’s more, the terminal construction project, which will be carried out by the private sector, should create hundreds of new jobs.

The last time when the Beirut Airport underwent a modernization was in 1990, after the Lebanese Civil War, which left it in shambles and in need for major improvements. For the last several years, the airport has been operating at peak capacity, and the two large explosions at the Beirut port in 2020 only made the situation worse.

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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.

Published

2 weeks ago

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December 17, 2024

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uae prepares to launch two satellites thuraya-2 and mbz-sat

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.

The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.

Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.

Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.

Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.

Also Read: IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth

The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.

The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.

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