Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accompanied by the president of the Beirut municipality, Ibrahim Zeidan (right), and the president of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, Mohammad Ali Qabbani (left), at Horsh Beirut, on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Credit: X/@nawafsalam)
BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he paid an inspection visit Sunday morning to Horsh Beirut, the capital’s Pine Forest, noting that discussions would continue next week on ways to develop the site and allow all Lebanese to benefit from its environmental and social potential.
In a post on X, Salam said the talks would focus on enhancing the forest as a public green space. He was accompanied by Beirut municipal president Ibrahim Zeidan and Council for Development and Reconstruction President Mohammed Ali Qabbani.
The first phase of Horsh Beirut's revitalization project was completed last September. It included the construction of a 1.7-kilometer cycling track, the renovation of the skatepark, and the rehabilitation of restrooms. The project, planned in three phases and supervised by the International Labour Organization, is financed by the European Union.
Future phases are set to include an amphitheater, a library and additional green areas.
Located along the former demarcation line, it was largely destroyed by a fire caused by Israeli strikes during the 1982 invasion. After 1990, access was tightly restricted over concerns of further damage.
Beginning in 1992, a rehabilitation program led by the Île-de-France Regional Council helped restore the forest as an urban green space. Parts of Horsh Beirut were partially reopened to the public in 2015 following advocacy by the Nahnoo association, and the site has been fully open to the public since 2016.
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