Saudi Arabia Poised to Renew Economic Ties with Lebanon Amid Drug Trafficking Progress

Saudi Arabia plans to enhance its trade relations with Lebanon, following effective Lebanese crackdowns on drug smuggling into the kingdom. Tensions, historically heightened by Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon, may ease as Saudi Arabia considers lifting bans on imports. Diplomatic efforts aim to renew economic partnerships between the two countries.

Saudi Arabia is preparing to enhance its commercial relations with Lebanon after observing significant progress in Lebanon's anti-drug smuggling efforts, a senior Saudi official announced on Thursday.

The longstanding strained relations between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, primarily due to Hezbollah's influence over Lebanese politics with support from Iran, may see improvement as Hezbollah's capabilities have been diminished following the conflict with Israel last year. Riyadh considers easing restrictions on Lebanese imports, which have been in place for years, as a positive step, although the kingdom still insists on the disarmament of Hezbollah—a request the group has consistently refused.

A Saudi delegation will visit Lebanon to discuss potential solutions to the challenges impeding Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia, according to the official. The Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia's willingness to bolster trade relations. Saudi banned imports from Lebanon in 2021 over drug trafficking concerns, specifically involving the production of Captagon. These restrictions compounded Lebanon's economic challenges, exacerbated by the 2019 financial crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)