Lebanon TechLebanon’s General Security launches Ma’ak digital platform with BLOM Bank and Mastercard
Citizens in Lebanon can now complete residency, visa and certificate transactions online and pay fees using local or international bank cards.
Lebanon TechIn brief: Lebanon's Directorate General of General Security launched the Ma'ak digital platform. The system allows applicants to submit requests, track transactions and pay fees through a web portal and a mobile application for iOS and Android.
Specialised teams at the Directorate General of General Security developed the Ma'ak digital platform alongside Lebanese firm ProIT Solutions and French artificial intelligence and data science specialist Intelligencia. The agency detailed the project in issue 158 of its magazine, according to Addiyar.
Platform services and access
Users can submit applications, attach documents, track transaction stages and receive notifications through the web portal at https://eservices.general-security.gov.lb and a mobile app for iOS and Android. According to the BLOM Bank statement, the platform provides digital access to residency permit renewals, entry visa applications and certificate requests.
Reported by Elnashra, Director General Major General Hassan Choucair said the agency is modernising public services. "We at the Directorate are committed to continuing to develop and upgrade our services, and to facilitating citizens' affairs, out of our national responsibility and our constant keenness to provide a modern public service worthy of the trust of the Lebanese," Choucair said. "The launch of our new electronic platform 'Ma'ak' reflects our keenness to make our services, including residency renewals, entry visa applications and certificate requests, easier and safer. Today we are taking an important step towards providing an innovative digital experience and continuing to modernise General Security services."
General Security magazine reported that the shift replaces paper procedures with an administrative culture built on clarity and efficiency, according to Addiyar. "The launch of the digital 'Ma'ak' platform forms a basic step in the path of modernising administration and facilitating citizens' transactions, by reducing in-person visits, simplifying procedures and strengthening transparency, while preserving legal and security controls and protecting personal data," Head of the Automation Affairs Office Brigadier General Fadi Harb said.
Harb said the services also cover booking first-time passport appointments, renewing biometric passports and certifying passport copies. Applicants can apply for, renew or cancel tourist and work visas, manage residency services, and request statements covering entry, exit, departure and non-entry movement.
Online payments and Mastercard gateway
Citizens can pay service fees online using any locally or internationally issued bank card through the Mastercard payment gateway, BLOM Bank said in its statement. Applicants can complete several services entirely online, from submitting applications and paying fees to receiving digital visas and certificates, Harb said.
The gateway operates on Merchant Cloud, Mastercard's unified and open framework for payment acceptance across public and private sector banks and institutions. According to the BLOM Bank statement, Merchant Cloud combines intelligent agent services, fraud protection, identity verification, tokenisation, and data and partner services within a single payment infrastructure.
Biometric verification and local data hosting
To register, an applicant needs a Lebanese biometric passport, which remains accepted even if expired, Harb said. Users must also provide a smartphone alongside an accessible phone number and email address. The verification process reads the passport's electronic chip, matches the holder's facial image and confirms contact details through a one-time password.
All platform data is hosted inside General Security's data centre in Lebanon and is not stored on external cloud servers, Harb said. The infrastructure protects records through encryption, firewalls, access permission controls and operation logging. Issued documents carry a digital signature and a QR code to verify their authenticity, while electronic visas carry a digital stamp that follows International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
What happens next
General Security will roll out the remaining digital services gradually after testing each service and confirming its operational readiness, Harb said. Passport renewal will be added to the platform in the near future, according to the BLOM Bank statement. Harb said the system was designed to scale and add further public services to raise administrative efficiency, ease burdens on citizens, and support oversight and accountability.
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