The Minister of State in charge of Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Kamal Shehadi, and the Minister of Tourism, Laura Lahoud, during the signing of an agreement on June 4, 2025. (Credit: NNA.)
BEIRUT — The Technology and Artificial Intelligence Minister, Kamal Shehadi, and the Tourism Minister, Laura Lahoud, signed a memorandum of understanding between their two ministries on Wednesday, aimed at integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and technological solutions into Lebanon's tourism sector.
According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the cooperation protocol between the two ministries falls under a "national digital transition strategy," under which a project had already been launched with the Justice Ministry on May 20 to digitize judicial payment orders.
In a speech during the signing of the cooperation protocol, Minister Shehadi stated that this project is in line with what President Joseph Aoun declared the previous day at a conference on "Smart Government" in Lebanon.
In his address, the head of state criticized the delay in digitizing administrative and governance procedures in Lebanon as a desire to maintain corruption. According to the definition of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), smart government is defined by several pillars, including the digitization of state services, enhanced transparency, and proactivity.
Many administrative procedures continue to be carried out manually in various institutions, whether it involves civil status applications or the payment of bills related to electricity or water, for example.
Better image of Lebanon, efficiency, and transparency
According to Shehadi, the purpose of the partnership is to "provide advanced digital services to tourists, offering them a seamless and modern experience, while reflecting the best image of Lebanon both inside and outside," notably through the development of applications that "will improve the experience of foreign and local tourists and the digitization of the services of the Tourism Ministry," for greater efficiency and transparency.
"We rely on technology as an essential partner to modernize the tourism sector, increase investments, and improve its competitiveness," said Lahoud. She hoped that the digital projects would "highlight the most beautiful assets of Lebanon and its people in the eyes of foreign tourists, while facilitating the discovery of their own country for Lebanese people and the opportunity to have exceptional times there."
This project is launched as the country of Cedars hopes for an influx of tourists with the summer, particularly from the Gulf, after several years marked by travel bans, the fallout from the socio-economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year, regional tensions and the war between Hezbollah and Israel.