Historic alleyways restored in Lebanon’s coastal city of Jounieh, creating jobs and reviving heritage

ILO News (Beirut)-The city of Jounieh, a Mediterranean coastal hub renowned for its tourism and maritime heritage, has unveiled the restoration of its historic waterfront alleyways — a transformation that blends cultural preservation with inclusive local job creation. Through the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Employment-Intensive Infrastructure Programme (EIIP), funded by the the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW Development Bank, the once-deteriorated coastal lanes in the city’s old market quarter have been reborn into safe, accessible and vibrant public spaces.

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The unveiling took place in the presence of Germany’s Ambassador to Lebanon Kurt Georg Stöckl-Stillfried, ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat, Mayor of Jounieh Faysal Frem, representatives from the KfW Development Bank, members of the municipal board, community members who had worked in the restoration activities, and local trade representatives. Their participation reflected a shared commitment to preserving Jounieh’s cultural heritage while promoting inclusive employment opportunities.

The upgraded alleyways — featuring improved drainage systems, repaved walkways, restored stone walls, and new lighting and public seating — have revived one of Jounieh’s most iconic quarters and provided vital income and skills to hundreds of local workers.

A central feature of the project was its reliance on labour-based methods. More than 323 vulnerable residents, including women, were employed throughout the works. The project generated over 13,300 workdays and provided workers with on-the-job training in masonry, paving, landscaping, and other construction techniques.

Following the construction phase, a number of workers secured longer-term employment maintaining the project area or working in local shops and small businesses within the revitalized market quarter.

Participants at the unveiling ceremony noted that the project successfully combined heritage-sensitive urban rehabilitation with meaningful employment, improving the daily life of residents, boosting economic activity in the old market quarter, and strengthening social and economic resilience in the city.

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“I have been a frequent visitor to Jounieh due to the many linkages Germany maintains with this town,” said Ambassador Kurt Georg Stöckl-Stillfried. “Through this development project, Germany has contributed to generating employment and professional training for Lebanese and Syrians alike and to reviving this historic area of Jounieh. We hope that the city will build on this investment to maintain and further develop the area for residents and visitors.”

“Through the Employment-Intensive Infrastructure Programme, our aim is to place people and communities at the centre of recovery efforts by creating dignified jobs while improving vital public spaces,” said ILO Regional Director Jaradat. “The restoration of Jounieh’s coastal alleyways demonstrates this approach’s powerful impact: workers gained income and new skills, businesses saw renewed activity, and a historic part of the city was brought back to life for residents and visitors alike. This is the kind of human-centred development the ILO strives to advance across Lebanon.”

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Mayor Faysal Frem expressed appreciation for the project, noting: “We extend our sincere appreciation to the International Labour Organization and the Government of Germany for their valuable support to this vital project, which created employment opportunities for many residents of Jounieh during a particularly challenging economic period. This intervention has helped stimulate economic activity in the city’s markets and shops, restoring vibrancy to this historic district and contributing to local development for the benefit of both residents and visitors.”

The Jounieh initiative forms part of a broader portfolio of more than 61 EIIP projects implemented across Lebanon since 2017 with funding from the German Government through KfW Development Bank. Jointly, they have generated over 1.2 million workdays and benefited thousands of Lebanon’s most vulnerable workers, while supporting municipalities and communities through periods of crisis and recovery.