CMA CGM to double Beirut container terminal capacity to 2.8 million TEUs
The project nearly doubles the terminal’s physical footprint and more than doubles its annual handling capacity.
LEBANON – CMA CGM has launched a project to expand and modernize the container terminal at the Port of Beirut, increasing its area from 45 to 80 hectares and its annual handling capacity from 1.2 million to 2.8 million TEUs, the company said.
The expansion will include optimized container storage areas, an automated gate complex, a new quay for feeder vessels, customs inspection facilities, and additional cargo-handling equipment. The upgrades aim to improve operational efficiency and accommodate future growth in container volumes.
The foundation stone was laid in Beirut in the presence of CMA CGM Group Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saade; Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam; Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny; and Marwan M. Naffi, Chairman and General Manager of the Port of Beirut.
CMA Terminals has managed, operated, and maintained the port’s container terminal since 2022.
Capacity and infrastructure
The project nearly doubles the terminal’s physical footprint and more than doubles its annual handling capacity.
Moreover, integrating automated technology and new infrastructure is intended to improve operational speed and efficiency at the facility, which handles containerized cargo for Lebanon and transit markets.
The upgrades are expected to strengthen Beirut’s role in Lebanon’s international trade and regional connectivity, positioning the port as a hub for goods moving between the eastern Mediterranean, the Gulf, and other markets.
Regional context
The expansion follows CMA CGM’s growing terminal portfolio, which includes interests in 64 port terminals worldwide.
In 2026, the group signed agreements to develop Terminal 4 at Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia, investing US$434 million with Red Sea Gateway Terminal, and acquired a 25% stake in APM Terminals Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam.
CMA CGM reported revenue of US$15.7 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 19.2% year over year, with transported volumes of 6.3 million TEUs, up 6%, according to the company’s financial results.
Lastly, this investment marks another step in the terminal’s development and is expected to support future economic growth by streamlining the movement of essential goods through one of the eastern Mediterranean’s principal gateways.
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