Saudi Arabia Moves to Restore Trade with Lebanon After Crackdown on Drug Smuggling

Saudi Arabia signals trade renewal with Lebanon after reported drop in drug exports

Saudi Arabia has said it will take “imminent steps” to strengthen commercial ties with Lebanon after Lebanese authorities demonstrated recent progress in curbing drug shipments to the kingdom, a senior Saudi official said on Thursday. A delegation from Riyadh is expected to visit Beirut soon to discuss lifting trade restrictions that have been in place since 2021.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the move reflects Riyadh’s judgment that Lebanese government and security forces have recently shown greater effectiveness in addressing the smuggling of Captagon and other illicit consignments.

“We will take imminent steps to bolster commercial relations between the two nations,” the official said.

Relations between the two capitals have been strained for years, largely because of the powerful role of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon’s political and security affairs. Riyadh has made disarming Hezbollah a precondition for fuller normalization of ties — a demand the group has so far resisted.

Relaxing the long-standing import controls on Lebanese goods would be the first tangible sign of improvement. Saudi Arabia imposed a near-total ban on imports from Lebanon in 2021 after authorities linked a surge in smuggling of the methamphetamine-like drug Captagon to production and trafficking networks in Lebanon and Syria. The import ban further hurt Lebanon’s already fragile economy, leaving agricultural and other exports barred from traditional Gulf markets.

The Saudi official said President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam — leaders whose recent initiatives Riyadh said it valued — have asked the kingdom to review the policy. The official added that the planned delegation will discuss measures "to resolve the barriers hindering Lebanese exports to the Kingdom," without giving details on specific sectors or timing.

Western and Arab governments have long accused Syrian government forces and Hezbollah of facilitating large-scale production and trade in Captagon; authorities uncovered major illicit factories in parts of Syria and border areas where Hezbollah had a strong presence. Hezbollah has denied involvement. Some reports have said the Syrian government’s control in parts of the country changed after a rebel offensive in December 2024.

In September, Lebanon approved a plan to begin disarming Hezbollah in areas south of the Litani River, but implementation has been slow amid logistical challenges and fears that rapid moves could spark renewed sectarian tensions. The United States has urged faster action, while Israel continues to strike targets it says are Hezbollah positions, contributing to a climate of fear among many Lebanese.

What to watch next: whether the Saudi delegation’s visit results in a partial or full lifting of the 2021 import ban, which sectors benefit first, and how progress on Hezbollah’s disarmament is monitored by regional and Western partners.