Lebanon

In 2024, Lebanon was not a globally significant producer of mineral commodities. Production of mineral commodities represented only a minor part of the economy of Lebanon. Mineral commodities produced in Lebanon included cement, refined gold, refined lead, limestone, phosphate fertilizer, phosphoric acid, salt, and sulfuric acid. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Lebanon is provided by Decree No. 2523 of 2009 and Decree No. 1735 of 2009, both amending Decree No. 8803 of 2002 that regulated stone quarries and crushers. In March 2019, the Government adopted policy Decision 45/2019 to more strictly enforce the existing regulations and to develop a new modernized plan for the mining and quarrying industry. The Ministry of Energy and Water oversees the mineral sector and the National Council for Quarries of the Ministry of Environment issues mining and quarrying permits. Most mineral commodities were produced by domestic and foreign private companies.