Revival of Tripoli
exhibition fairgrounds

City officials and business organizations
will partner in BOT-scheme

Tripoli’s officials are planning to revive the one million square meter Rachid Karame International Fair. The private sector, represented by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture in Tripoli and the North and the public sector, represented by the Municipality of Tripoli and the Order of Engineers, expressed commitment to restore and operate some of the fair’s facilities.

Houssam Kobayter, Chairman of the fair, said: “We received an initial approval by the Chamber to restore and operate the Lebanese Pavilion where traditional handicrafts may be exhibited.” The Chamber would operate the facility based on a Build-Operate-Transfer contract.

The Chamber will prepare a feasibility study for the Pavilion to study steps for its restoration and overall cost.

Other facilities such as the Dome Theater and the open-air theater will also be restored and run by the private sector. “The fair’s internal bylaws allow for restoration and operation by the private sector, as long as the goal is to promote the fair’s economic, touristic, and cultural aspects,” he said.

“We will meet very soon with members of the municipality and the Order of Engineers to discuss the facilities that they can restore and operate,” Kobayter said.

A meeting was held between Kobayter, Mayor Amer Tayyeb el Rafei, Chairman of the Tripoli Chamber Toufic Dabbousi, Chairperson of the Tripoli Special Economic Zone Raya Haffar el Hassan, Chairman of the Lebanese Exhibitions and Conferences Association (LECA) Elie Rizk, Chairman of the Order of Engineers Marius Beaini, and Chairman of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) Nabil Itani. The meeting also discussed the launch of new projects within the fair’s premises.

“There are talks of establishing an IT City and a shopping center within the fairground as well,” Kobayter said. A joint stock company will be established by participants in the meeting to look into the new projects.