The Ogero headquarters in Bir Hassan, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Illustrative photo by Philippe Hage Boutros/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Imad Kreidieh, the Director-General of Ogero, Lebanon's public operator managing fixed-line telephony and internet, announced his resignation on Sunday. Subsequently, his predecessor, the controversial Abdel Menhem Youssef, commented on LinkedIn: "Congratulations in advance to Ahmad Bassam Oueidat for his appointment during the upcoming Cabinet meeting as CEO of Ogero."
A well-informed source confirmed this information to L’Orient-Le Jour, stating that Oueidat, currently at the General Directorate of the government, is favored after scoring the highest in a selection process and interviews attended by representatives from the Ministry of Telecommunications, the Ministry of State for Administrative Reform, the Civil Service Board, and experts. His name will be proposed to the Cabinet, which will decide on his appointment.
The announcement follows a controversy over Kreidieh as the telecommunications minister decided to remove him on March 21, 2025. It was explained that this was "to enforce Imad Kreidieh's retirement right within three months," after his mandate was renewed for a year by the caretaker government of Najib Mikati in October 2024, despite an administrative appointments freeze at that time.
The telecommunications minister aimed "to appoint a new GD to spearhead ministry reform," according to the appointment mechanism announced on March 20 by the government of Nawaf Salam, as told to L’Orient-Le Jour by a source close to Minister Hage who requested anonymity.
During an April visit to south Lebanon, Minister Charles Hage noted that 80 percent of the fixed and mobile telephone and internet network coverage has been restored, with the remaining 20 percent still deprived due to destruction and the "continuation of Israeli occupation" following the Hezbollah-Israel war that began on Oct. 8, 2023.
His predecessor, Johnny Corm, estimated in December 2024, after the cease-fire on Nov. 27, 2024, that losses to the Lebanese telecom sector ranged between $88 and $117 million, according to a preliminary assessment.
