According to the data from the Orders of Engineers in Beirut and Tripoli, the total cumulative construction permits witnessed a cumulative year-on-year (YOY) decrease of 16.76% to reach 9,086 permits by December 2024, despite the Israeli-Hezbollah war that ended with a ceasefire on November 27. However, the Construction Area Authorized by Permits (CAP) increased by 8.08% YOY to record 4,904,148 square meters (sqm). This could be explained by the increased tendency for group projects rather than individual projects.
Moreover, construction activity witnessed some fluctuation compared to last year. Some governorates witnessed an increase such as Beirut, North Lebanon, and Bekaa while other governorates’ activity decreased like Mount Lebanon, South Lebanon, and Nabatiye. Below table shows detailed data by governorates:
| Governorate | # of Permits | Share | YOY Change |
| Beirut | 403 | 4.44% | 24.77% |
| Mt Lebanon | 3,801 | 41.83% | -0.26% |
| North Lebanon | 115 | 1.27% | 23.66% |
| Bekaa | 1,248 | 13.74% | 19.43% |
| South Lebanon | 2,043 | 22.49% | -35.80% |
| Nabatiye | 1,206 | 13.27% | -47.27% |
| Total | 9,086 | 100.00% | -16.76% |
As shown in the above table, South Lebanon and Nabatiye witnessed a remarkable decrease in the number of permits compared to the same month last year due to the war’s effects on these areas in the last couple of months. It is also worth noting that despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel continued multiple strikes on these areas, hence the ongoing decrease.
Number of Construction Permits in 2024
Source: Orders of Engineers in Beirut & Tripoli
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