Lebanon’s government taps Roland Berger to help advance its AI ambitions

Lebanon’s government has signed a strategic collaboration with Roland Berger, one of the world’s leading strategic consulting firms, to help the nation craft and advance its AI ambitions.

The partnership with the consulting firm has been signed by the Office of the Ministry of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence (OMSITAI), which was established earlier this year by the new government, led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Joseph Aoun.

OMSITAI leads Lebanon’s forward-thinking agenda to transform its public sector through digitisation and in particular through artificial intelligence (AI). Initiatives reported to be high on the agenda include bringing in a national ID system, digitising payments and building the infrastructure and ecosystem required for developing and adopting AI.

Alongside government-focused objectives, OMSITAI also aims to harnessing AI to support the growth of Lebanon’s key sectors, foster innovation, and boost the small-and mid-sized business landscape in the nation.

Under this Memorandum of Understanding, Roland Berger will advise and support OMSITAI in the development of AI-driven initiatives that contribute to national strategies, through strategy advisory, technical knowhow, and the development of governance frameworks that ensure safe, ethical, and impactful AI adoption.

Kamal Shehadeh, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence (also serving as Minister of Displaced and long ago a management consultant), emphasized that this agreement marks a significant step in Lebanon’s digital transformation journey and reflects the country’s commitment to fostering a technology ecosystem built on innovation and global standards.

“Our collaboration with Roland Berger, leveraging its extensive international expertise, will accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across vital sectors and support our plans to build a sustainable knowledge economy that strengthens Lebanon’s position in this critical field.”

Nizar Hneini and Kamal Shehadi sign the agreement

Roland Berger will lead the engagement from its Beirut office, one of its six offices in the Middle East. Experts will be mobilised from its offices in the region and Europe.

Nizar Hneini, Middle East Managing Director and Head of Digital & Services at Roland Berger, said: “We are honored to partner with OMSITAI to contribute our global expertise and technical insight in support of the Lebanon’s forward-looking vision for AI.”

Roland Berger, which is headquartered in Germany, is one of the world’s leading strategy and management consulting firms. Over the past decade, the firm has supported the Lebanese government on a number of key projects, including a masterplan for redeveloping Beirut’s port, which requires extensive work following the devastating explosion of August 2020.

Hneini, a Lebanese national and graduate of the American University of Beirut, said that this latest engagement reflects Roland Berger’s ongoing investment at the intersection of government and entrepreneurship, building on the firm’s belief in the power of public-private collaboration to accelerate AI success.