Beirut, Lebanon, November 20, 2025 — The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announced five new investments and engagements aimed at expanding access to finance and energy, supporting the growth of Lebanon’s manufacturing sector, and creating employment opportunities across the country. The announcements were made during the Beirut One investor conference in the presence of Lebanese Prime Minister H.E. Nawaf Salam and align with the government’s new economic vision and the World Bank Group’s broader reconstruction and recovery strategy.
IFC’s initiatives seek to strengthen Lebanon’s private sector as a cornerstone of the country’s recovery. Aftab Ahmed, IFC’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, emphasized that these engagements are designed to drive sustainable, inclusive recovery and create much-needed jobs, reinforcing the private sector’s role in economic revitalization.
In the energy sector, IFC will act as lead transaction advisor to the Government of Lebanon, collaborating with the High Council for Privatization and PPPs and the Ministry of Energy and Water to promote efficient power generation through a gas-to-power public-private partnership. The projects include the development of a floating storage and regasification unit for liquefied natural gas, the modernization of the 465-megawatt Deir Ammar I power plant, and the construction of a new 825-megawatt combined-cycle gas turbine plant, Deir Ammar II. These initiatives aim to expand access to reliable electricity, reduce reliance on diesel, increase efficiency, cut generation costs, and support the country’s transition to cleaner energy.
To enhance financial inclusion, IFC is providing a $10 million financing package to two leading microfinance institutions, the Lebanese Association for Development (Al Majmoua) and Vitas Lebanon. The funding targets micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including women entrepreneurs, with a focus on forcibly displaced persons and host communities. A first-loss guarantee of up to $5 million through the PROSPECTS blended finance facility, supported by the Netherlands, will further support access to education, social protection, and employment. This initiative complements the Ministry of Social Affairs’ national programs, including the AMAN Social Safety Net Programme, and aims to preserve and create jobs while fostering economic inclusion.
In the manufacturing sector, IFC is partnering with BCI Holding S.A. to provide a loan of up to $40 million to expand operations in Lebanon and the Middle East. The funding will enable BCI to establish an R&D and Innovation Center and a back-office operations hub, while supporting SME development, job creation, and regional competitiveness through improved chemical formulations, specialty adhesives, and technical assistance.
IFC is also investing up to $30 million in Matelec, a regional manufacturer of power machinery and electrical infrastructure solutions, to support upcoming infrastructure projects in Lebanon and the MENA region. This partnership aims to boost industrial development, create jobs, and enhance the availability of high-quality electrical infrastructure solutions for municipal and industrial clients.
These initiatives reinforce IFC’s ongoing commitment to Lebanon’s sustainable growth, building on past projects that have strengthened infrastructure, expanded access to finance, supported manufacturing and tourism, and promoted long-term economic resilience.
