The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, inaugurated the newly rebuilt Fish Market in Saida.

This transformative project aims to revitalise Saida’s fishing sector by modernising the market and providing new facilities and equipment for local fishermen. It is supporting more than 450 local fishermen, as well as their families and hundreds of beneficiaries across local communities in and around Saida.

The project was funded by the United Kingdom and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and the Saida Municipality, within the framework of UNDP’s Lebanon Host Communities Support Project (LHSP).

Also present were Ms Melanie Hauenstein, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Lebanon, Dr Hector Hajjar, Minister of Social Affairs, Mr Mohamad Nahle, representing the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Mohamad Seoudi Mayor of Saida Municipality, Dr Abdelrahman El-Bizri MP, Mrs Bahiya Hariri and Mr Nazih Sinbol, Head of Saida Fishermen Syndicate. He also met members of the local fishing community and underlined the UK’s continued support to people across Lebanon.

Ambassador Cowell met later with Dr Abdel Rahman El Bizri MP and Ousama Saad MP to discuss the challenges facing Saida and the opportunities for its development.  

On the revived Saida corniche, Ambassador Cowell also visited a UK funded project of solar-powered lighting along 7Km of the city’s coast and heard how this has helped make the area safer and more accessible to local residents, small vendors, and tourists.

At the end of his visit, Ambassador Cowell said: 

Saida is a city steeped in Phoenician history with wonderful archaeological and heritage sites.

I am proud to see the transformational impact that UK-funded projects in Saida are having on Lebanese livelihoods.

The UK is supporting Lebanon in its current challenging circumstances and will continue to encourage the reforms and changes needed to ensure a better future for the Lebanese people. Photo by gov.uk