Lebanon bets on the reopening of the Naseeb border crossing with Jordan to reactivate its economic sector through energizing its exports activities to Gulf and Arab countries by transforming goods by land and therefore decrease their cost.
This week, Syrian forces captured the Naseeb border, after rebels announced they had reached an agreement with Russian mediators to end the violence in the southern province of Daraa and surrender the
crossing.
The rebels seized control of the crossing in 2015, disrupting a trade route between Syria and Jordan, Lebanon and Gulf countries.
Before 2015, around 250 trucks left daily from Lebanon to Jordan by crossing the Naseeb border. Since rebels controlled the crossing, Lebanon sent half of its usual daily cargo to Jordan by sea as a
temporary means to export its agriculture and industrial goods.
“We are waiting for opposition fighters to withdraw from the crossing and its surrounding so we can reactivate an old agreement signed with Damascus and Amman allowing Lebanese trucks cross through Syria and
Jordan towards Gulf countries,” head of the Truck Owners' Union Shafiq al-Qassis told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday.
“We only received information that the reopening of the crossing would not take a long time. When measures in this regard are completed, Lebanese trucks will directly move by land towards Jordan,” al-Qassis
said.
The head of the Trucks Owners’ Union said Lebanon considers the Naseeb crossing as “vital,” asserting that it helps the shipment of Lebanese industrial and agricultural products.
“The transportation of Lebanese good by land allows them to compete in the Arab markets,” he said.
According to several statistics, the level of Lebanese exports to Gulf markets decreased by half since the Naseeb crossing was closed by rebels in 2015.
