Area Size: 934 Km2
Population: 718,765 (2016)
Districts: Jezzine, Saida, Tyr
Administrative Center: Saida
Number of municipalities: 147
Number of Projects that benefited from IDAL’s incentives: 1
Unemployment rate: 5%

LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY

The South Lebanon Governorate spans along the Mediterranean cost, limited by the Nabatieh Governorate to its East and the Mount Lebanon Governorate to its North.

The governorate has an average altitude ranging between 0  to 300 meters above sea level, with a few areas reaching 1,500 meters above sea level in the north. It encompasses few mixed rural areas mainly concentrated around its 3 main cities (Jezzine city, Saida city, and Tyr city), with a majority of natural areas, and main agricultural lands. It is crossed by 7 rivers, the Awali, Sayniq, Litani, Zahrani, Naqura, Qasmiye, and Hasbani rivers.

MAIN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY:

• Agriculture: South Lebanon is an important agricultural region, spreading from Sidon to Tyr where intensive agriculture is also present in greenhouses. Greenhouse agriculture in South Lebanon covers an area of 6,277 dounoum (2010), 78% of which is used for the plantation of fruits. Permanent agriculture land covers an area of 201,539 dounoum, 38.9% of which is used for planting olives, and 31.6% used for citrus fruits.
• Industry: The Governorate encompasses only 8% of total Lebanese industrial firms, accounting for 331 companies. The majority operates in the agro-food sector (25.68%), followed by the furniture sector (12.39%) and the machinery and electrical appliances sector (12.39%) [1].

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:

• Presence of 9 universities
• The Governorate is home to 2 of Lebanon’s 4 seaports. The port of Saida, located in the Saida district, is Lebanon’s third largest port, and receives around 200 ships per year. The port of Tyr, located in the Tyr district, is Lebanon’s fourth largest port, but does not extend sufficiently to shelter vessels berthing at the main harbor.
• Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute (LARI), a governmental organization under Minister of Agriculture that conducts applied and basic scientific research for the development and advancement of the agricultural sector in Lebanon has 2 centers in south Lebanon, one in Lebaa and the other in Tyre. In Lebaa the focus is on olives, biological agriculture, irrigation, greenhouses, while in Tyre the focus is on citrus, exotic agriculture, and olives.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

• Agro-Food: vast agricultural land and important greenhouse activities provide important resources and raw materials for a booming agro-industry.
• Goat and Dairy Products: There are 35,023 goats, compared to only 4,839 bovine in the governorate, paving the way for important investment opportunities in this sector.
• Wine Production: Jezzine is the only southern region of the country with a quality of soil that allows for a flourishing wine industry.  There is only 1 winery operating in Jezzine, even though other wineries are planting vineyards in the region.
• Olive Oil: 15% of olive trees in Lebanon are located in South Lebanon, the second largest concentration in the country.
• Summer and Eco-Tourism: the presence of natural sites in the Governorate is an important location for the conservation of flora and fauna species, providing opportunities for eco-tourism. The sandy beaches of Tyr and the historical ruins of Sidon and Tyr attract more than 50,000 visitors.