lebanon
travel requirements
Business-critical travel to Lebanon is permitted but requires approval from Global Security. All travelers to Lebanon must take the following actions:
- Get approval from Global Security
- Forward a copy of the approval to CWT or their designated travel agent prior to tickets being issued as far in advance of departure as possible
- When booking all hotel and meeting venues in Beirut, travelers are required to consult Global Security as there are areas inside the city that should be avoided
- Travelers are required to use company approved security provider for all transportation
contacts
Click on the link below for all location specific contacts to support travel coordination, approvals, security and medical questions. Please save this information before you travel.
security risks
Travel outside of the greater Beirut area is generally prohibited and there are areas inside Beirut that should be avoided. Israel conducts regular airstrikes against Hezbollah and Lebanon-based Palestinian militant groups in southern Lebanon and occasional attacks against militant targets in northeastern Lebanon and Beirut. Lebanon is also facing simultaneous political and socioeconomic crises. Demonstrations, which can become violent, are a near daily occurrence. Sectarian and intercommunal violence is also rising.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several bombings in Lebanon and has targeted foreign nationals and soft targets in the past. The group is particularly active in Tripoli and other parts of north Lebanon. Hezbollah, which maintains a strong presence in south Beirut, south Lebanon, and the Beka’a Valley, has engaged in armed clashes with rival groups and kidnapping, including of foreign nationals.
Lebanon is a major hub in the regional drug trade. Criminal networks concentrated in Baalbek and Hermel engage in kidnapping, narcotics trafficking, and car theft. There are periodic clashes between security services and criminal elements in the Beka’a Valley and border regions. Violent crime is rising in the country’s refugee camps.
healthcare infrastructure and disease risks
The Chevron healthcare infrastructure and disease risk level for Lebanon is B. Click here for International SOS health guidance.
guidance
Visitors to Lebanon should exercise high levels of caution and situational awareness and take the following precautions:
- Travelers must use Global Security’s third-party security provider during visits to Lebanon
- Avoid, where possible, crowded locations and tourist sites
- Abide by the company security protocols, recognizing that the local risk tolerance may be higher than Chevron’s adopted standards
- Monitor media and local information sources
- Visitors should defer to local customs and advice as Lebanon remains a conservative society
- Minimize your profile by not displaying Chevron-related logos on your belongings
- Be prepared for additional security measures and potential travel disruptions
- All staff should ensure that their contact details are up to date before travel to Lebanon
Certain areas of Beirut are more vulnerable to terrorism than others, and care should be taken to understand the varied geography and demography of the city. If the situation deteriorates quickly, visitors should be aware that overland evacuations are not possible from Lebanon (the Israeli border is closed, and Syria is in civil war) and that visitors are therefore dependent on air and sea routes only.
Employees should be aware that information security risks can be greater during travel, as third parties present in foreign countries may monitor communications and transmissions.
Employees are advised to avoid communications on sensitive matters and to travel with as little sensitive information as possible.