The port of Beirut was mentioned in many correspondences of the Phoenicians and the Pharaohs, and it was rebuilt by the Ottomans in the nineteenth century. It is a vital port through which most of the import and export operations in Lebanon take place.
It was subjected to a massive explosion on August 4, 2020, which destroyed most of it, leaving hundreds dead and injured, and billions of dollars in losses.
It was built by the Ottomans at the end of the nineteenth century, and through it most import and export operations to Lebanon take place, and it is managed by the “Beirut Port Authority” company (GEPB), and it was subjected to a massive explosion on August 4, 2020 that reduced it to rubble.
Location
The port of Beirut is located on the eastern part of Saint George's Bay on the northern Mediterranean coast of the Lebanese capital, west of the Beirut River on an area of 1.2 square kilometers (0.46 square miles), half of which is a free zone.
It employs 639 employees, and is located within 35 and 57 degrees East longitude and 35 and 15 degrees North latitude, which forms the midpoint between 3 continents: Europe, Asia and Africa.
Beirut Port consists of 4 docks divided into 16 berths, with new berths for deep water containers.
Date
The name of the port of Beirut has been mentioned since the fifteenth century BC in the exchanged letters between the Pharaohs and the Phoenicians, and during the Roman era it developed into a commercial and economic center.
During the Umayyad era, the port of Beirut became a center for the first Arab fleet, while during the Crusaders era, it played an important role in the maritime trade between East and West.
The name of the port of Beirut has been mentioned since the fifteenth century BC in the messages exchanged between the Pharaohs and the Phoenicians (communication sites)
This role was reinforced during the Mamluk era, when the port turned into a trading center visited by pilgrims to the Holy Land, and by the end of the nineteenth century, it was rebuilt.
On June 19, 1887, the Ottoman Empire granted the port concession to the Compagnie du Port, des Quais et des Entrepôts de Beyrouth for 60 years, ending in 1947.
The Ottoman authority granted the port concession to a company under the name "Beirut Port, Docks and Warehousing Company" (communication sites)
The concession was later strengthened when the company obtained the rights to store and carry all goods in transit that pass through customs.
At the end of 1894, the completion of the construction works for the expansion and development of the port was celebrated, following the development of the docks in the port and their spread between the regions of Ras Al-Shamiya and Ras Al-Madwar.
During the Roman era, the port developed into a commercial and economic center (communication sites)
About 5 years after Lebanon fell under French colonialism (1920-1943), specifically on May 20, 1925, the "Beirut Port, Docks and Warehousing Company" became operating under French administration.
On April 13, 1960, the company name was changed and a 30-year concession was granted to a Lebanese company called Compagnie de Gestion et d'Exploitation du Port de Beyrouth, which worked to expand the port.
The port has turned into a commercial center visited by pilgrims from the Holy Land (communication sites)
In 1969, with a loan from the State of Kuwait, the port silos with a capacity of 120,000 tons were established.
In 1976, all shipping operations in the port stopped for a period of 9 months during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), and a large part of the port was damaged after parts of it fell under the control of various armed militias.
After the war, the seaport and the surrounding area were rebuilt.
On December 31, 1990, the concession of the “Management and Operation of Beirut Port Company” ended, and the port became under the direct ownership of the Lebanese government, and its operation was assigned to the “Beirut Port Authority” company (GEPB), which is still managing it until now.
Importance
Although there are 4 other ports in Lebanon: Tripoli, Tyre, Sidon and Jounieh, Beirut port is a main gateway to enter Lebanon, through which most import and export operations take place.
Major exports include grains, fruits, vegetables, wool, cement and other manufactured goods, while imports include industrial and manufactured goods, timber, iron and petroleum products.
It is considered a main hub for import and export to other countries, such as Syria, Iraq and Jordan, as well as a major sea port for the Arab and Asian countries.
The port deals with large container shipments, as its traffic grew from 945 thousand and 143 containers in 2008 to one million and 229 thousand and 81 containers in 2019, and it is a major corridor for many international trade operations.
Its privileged geographic location on St. George's Bay makes it safe for marine vessels in all seasons.
Equipped with the latest unloading and loading devices, it also provides facilities for handling most types of vessels, including general cargo, containers, bulk carriers and tankers.
It is a free zone, and about 6 million tons of goods pass through it annually, about one million containers, and about 3,000 ships.
the free zone
The free zone in Al-Mifa, which was opened on July 12, 2007, consists of 4 modern buildings, of which three are industrial: 2, 5 and 6, each with an area of 4,000 square meters. Each building 5 and 6 contains 52 warehouses, while Building 2 contains on 38 warehouses.
These three buildings were constructed and designed according to advanced methods, which facilitated the transportation of goods to their industrial warehouses. Each building was equipped with two elevators to transport goods that can weigh up to 3 tons each, and with wide internal roads that allow free movement of forklifts.
Warehouses have separate lighting systems, the same applies to roads, where the latter are also equipped with electronic fire detectors, and two emergency stairs in each building.
As for the fourth building, it is the Duty Free Building, bearing the number 3, and it was built on an area of 2,800 square meters and was designed to include duty-free shops.
August blast
On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion occurred due to the storage of 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate that had been stored for the previous six years in a warehouse at the port.
The ammonium nitrate had arrived at the port in September 2013, coming from Georgia, on board a Russian cargo ship called "MV Rossos" and flying the flag of Moldova, and was bound for Mozambique, but it was abandoned by its owners and crew in Beirut.
The explosion killed at least 228 people, injured more than 7,000, and displaced 30,000 others.
Large parts of the port and its infrastructure, including most of the grain reserves, were destroyed, and damage to the city was estimated at $15 billion.
The port of Beirut was forced to close due to the extensive damage caused by the explosions, with goods being redirected to smaller ports, such as Tripoli and Tyre.
Before the disaster, about 60% of Lebanon's imports came through the port, according to global Standard & Poor's estimates.
Video shows the moment part of Beirut port's grain silos collapsed, nearly two years after they were damaged in the deadly blast ⤵️
🔗: https://t.co/fPi9aiqcJt pic.twitter.com/AMFB9veRGP
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 1, 2022
On September 10, 2020, a large fire broke out in the Mirfa area, which covered the sky of Beirut with toxic gases.
On April 14, 2022, the Lebanese government ordered the demolition of grain silos in Beirut that remained at risk of collapse after the August 4, 2020 explosion.
In early July 2022, a fire broke out in the cracked section of the grain silos.
On July 31, 2022, a cracked part of the grain silos collapsed in the port, after repeated outbreaks of fire.