This massive new US embassy complex is causing controversy because of its sheer size and luxury in a country where nearly 80% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The new U.S. Embassy compound in Lebanon is located 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) from downtown Beirut, and looks like a city of its own. The complex spans 43 acres, and is located in the Beirut suburb of Awkar, which is nearly two and a half times the land area on which the White House sits and more than 21 football fields.

Many Lebanese on Twitter wondered why the United States needed such a large embassy in their capital. Lebanon is smaller than the state of Connecticut, with a population of just six million. Few American tourists visit the country, which the State Department has placed at the third-highest level on its travel advisory list, but it has a large Lebanese-American population.

“Is the US moving to Lebanon??” tweeted social media activist Sandy, while Abdul Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, responded to the grandeur of the new complex: “Maybe you will have enough space to work on all your pending visa applications.”

Computer-generated images released by the embassy show an ultra-modern complex of multi-storey buildings with high glass windows, recreational areas and a swimming pool, surrounded by green spaces and views of the Lebanese capital. The complex includes housing, community facilities and associated support facilities, according to the project's website.

From the coronavirus pandemic to the 2020 Beirut bombing, Lebanon has been hit by a number of crises, and is reportedly set to cost $1 billion and is being overseen by the Office of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), which has overseen the construction of a number of other U.S. embassies around the world.

The US Ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard, laid the foundation stone for the new US embassy complex in Beirut, launching a huge urban project that the embassy had talked about two years ago.

According to the embassy website, the complex will provide a safe, sustainable, modern and supportive platform for embassy staff in representing the US government in Lebanon and in the daily conduct of diplomacy.

She noted that "laying the foundation stone for the new embassy complex is a strong message to the Lebanese people that we are with you for the long term. We intend to continue the spirit of cooperation and partnership that has prevailed in our journey together for nearly two hundred years."

“The new project, which overlooks a vibrant capital and the breathtaking Mediterranean, fills me with optimism about the future,” she added. “I hope we share this optimism that drives the next generation to continue working...to build a safe, stable and prosperous Lebanon.”

“The new U.S. Embassy facilities in Beirut represent the best of American culture in engineering, technology, sustainability, art and construction execution,” the embassy said on its website.

She noted that the engineering firm working on the project is Morphosis Architects of Culver City, California, and the construction contractor is BL Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama.

In 2015, former US Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale announced plans to build the new complex, stressing that this investment, worth nearly $1 billion, confirms the “long-standing commitment to partnership” between the United States and Lebanon.

He revealed that “the embassy’s spaces that are widely visited by the public, namely the consular section and the public diplomacy section, are designed to create an enjoyable experience for our visitors, as American and Lebanese art will be installed in these spaces.”

Local reactions

The embassy has sparked controversy in Lebanon, with some questioning the need for such a large size in a small country. Some Lebanese see the embassy as a reflection of the gap between the comforts of the embassy and the difficult economic reality faced by most of the population.

Security dimensions

The embassy serves as a hub for U.S. security in the region, reflecting the security challenges the United States faces in the Middle East.

The presence of the embassy enhances the ability of the United States to monitor regional activities and interact with security issues. Despite the controversy over its size, the embassy represents a focal point for American policy in the region, and plays an important role in supporting stability and development in Lebanon. According to the American non-neutral vision.