AI will play major role in Lebanon, country's Finance Minister says

Lebanon’s Finance Minister Yassine Jaber said artificial intelligence will play a major role in the country’s economic future as Beirut pursues reforms and digital transformation. Speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, Mr Jaber highlighted a range of AI initiatives, including an AI spokeswoman developed by the Ministry of Finance and recent training programmes aimed at building local capacity.

"AI is not only going to be playing a major role in Lebanon, it is going to be playing major role into the world," Mr Jaber told the CSIS audience, underscoring his belief that the technology will be central to Lebanon’s recovery and modernization efforts.

Mr Jaber provided specific examples of how the ministry is using AI to communicate and modernize. The Finance Ministry has deployed an AI spokeswoman, branded Sawt Al Malia (Voice of the Ministry of Finance), to present official economic updates. "She is the Voice of the Ministry of Finance, Sawt Al Malia, and instead of just releasing all these statements via writing, she declares them," he said. "You will find a lady who is nicely dressed, an AI character who is making our statements, and you can see the degree to which we are believing in AI and pushing for it." He added that Sawt is "doing a very good job."

The ministry’s AI rollout occurs alongside broader national efforts. Lebanon’s Minister of State for Technology and AI, Kamal Shehadi, was appointed in 2025 and has championed training and capacity-building initiatives. Mr Shehadi posted on X that 2,500 Lebanese residents took part in an AI training programme organised by Zaka, a Middle East-based online education platform, a step he framed as key to building national expertise. "This is how we become the nation that masters AI faster than any other and integrate it into our work, our services and our centres of excellence – higher education, health care, creative industries, manufacturing, and business services," Mr Shehadi wrote.

These digital ambitions are set against a backdrop of pressing fiscal and economic challenges. During his CSIS discussion, Mr Jaber also addressed Lebanon’s bank restructuring efforts, the draft budget for 2027 and the ongoing costs imposed by regional conflict. To support digital transformation, Lebanon and the World Bank agreed in August on a $150 million loan to fund the Digital Acceleration Project. That programme aims to modernise government systems and enable easier access to public services for citizens who still often rely on paper documentation or travel to ministries to resolve issues.

Key details

• AI training: 2,500 Lebanese participants through a Zaka-organised programme.
• Ministry innovation: Sawt Al Malia, an AI spokeswoman used to declare ministry statements.
• Ministerial leadership: Kamal Shehadi, Minister of State for Technology and AI, appointed in 2025.
• Funding: $150 million World Bank loan for the Digital Acceleration Project announced in August.
• Event: Remarks delivered at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Outlook: Minister Jaber presented AI both as a communication tool and a broader enabler of public-sector reform. With the World Bank loan in place and training programmes under way, Lebanon is betting that investment in AI skills and digital infrastructure can complement fiscal measures such as bank restructuring and the 2027 budget process. How quickly those technological advances translate into measurable improvements in service delivery, governance and economic recovery will depend on implementation pace, continued funding and the country’s ability to stabilise its broader political and financial systems.