Jeita Grotto to soon come under different management

BEIRUT — Caretaker Minister of Tourism Walid Nassar, announced on Thursday the forthcoming launch of a call for tenders to reallocate the operation of the Jeita Grotto nature and tourist site, in the mountains northeast of Beirut.

The site, located in Keserwan district, had been managed by the German company Mapas since 1995, under a B.O.T (Build, Operate, Transfer) contract, a public-private partnership model in which a private entity is mandated to design and operate a public infrastructure over a given period.

Jeita Grotto extends around 6,200 meters into the mountainside and the upper of its two caves contains the world's largest known stalactite.

In preparation for the tender, specialized commissions made up of "experts from both the public and private sectors" will be set up and tasked with preparing new specifications, "in line with global environmental and tourism standards," according to a press release from the Minister. This step follows Tuesday's decision by the Council of Ministers to terminate the current contract with the operating company.

The announcement coincides with the cave's annual closure until Feb. 8.