Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2025, showing the letters AI for Artificial Intelligence on a laptop screen (right) next to the logo of the ChatGPT application displayed on a smartphone screen, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Credit: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP)
BEIRUT — On Sep. 9, Lebanon’s Cabinet approved a draft law to create the country’s first Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Ministry (MITAI) – a decision that still awaits parliamentary approval.
The move transforms the existing State Ministry into a full ministry. Until now, the portfolio has been overseen by Kamal Shehadeh, who simultaneously serves as State Minister for Technology and Artificial Intelligence and Minister of the Displaced.
Speaking with UAE-based tech platform TahawulTech, Shehadeh said the priority is “building institutions capable of propelling Lebanon into the digital age – by finalizing legal and financial frameworks, delivering transparent and efficient public services, and creating conditions for Lebanese talent, especially from the diaspora, to invest and thrive, all while shaping a national digital strategy.”
Today, only two countries in the world have a dedicated AI ministry: The UAE and Canada, which established its own in 2025.
The AI ministry: a waste of time?
The announcement sparked debate across Lebanon’s tech community, with professionals taking to social media to voice divided opinions.
Nicolas Farhat, Deputy General Manager of Lebanese incubator Berytech, welcomed the move, calling it a “timely and important step for Lebanon,” and stressing that a dedicated ministry is essential to building trust and coordination.
“AI is cross-cutting and evolving fast, and Lebanon cannot afford to lag behind without a clear reference point,” he added.
Other voices struck a more critical tone. Mohammad Najem, Executive Director of SMEX, a digital rights organization focused on the intersection of rights, freedoms, and technology, questioned whether the initiative is backed by a coherent vision.
“Technology can only help a country once the basics are in place — infrastructure, roads, electricity, a functioning airport, public health and insurance,” said Najem, who questioned what role the new ministry could realistically play in a nation he described as “collapsed.”
“We are light years behind on technology,” he added, arguing that the funds earmarked for this initiative could be better allocated elsewhere.
That sentiment was echoed by Fadi Bizri, CEO of coding bootcamp SE Factory, who dismissed the move as “a waste of time and money.”
“Before having a ministry, we need an innovation strategy – and before that, we need infrastructure, reliable internet, rule of law, and stability to convince people to set up companies locally,” Bizri said, noting that Lebanon currently lacks all of these foundations.
More nuanced, Chadi Kallab, an Information Technology instructor at the Lebanese American University, said it was “about time Lebanon took this step,” noting the country’s lag in digital transformation and the absence of an IT and AI government entity.
“The formation of a ministry is a good step, but it should be inclusive, promote economic development and growth, and focus on strengthening the state of Lebanon and its people,” he said. Kallab also expressed hope that the ministry would draw on the country’s own talent and resources rather than outsourcing expertise from abroad.
For Farhat, the ministry can also serve as a vital body to facilitate investment, foster a conducive business environment, and prioritize the deployment of critical infrastructure for tech startups, starting with fiber optics and 5G.
He emphasized that coordination with other ministries, including energy, telecoms, and education, will be essential to ensure a coherent nationwide integration of AI.
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