Lebanon is located in the Eastern Mediterranean. The standard voltage used in Lebanon is 220-240 volts while the types of electrical outlet present there are Type A NEMA 1-15 / JIS C 8303, Type B NEMA 5-15, Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, and Type D Indian BS-546, and Type G British BS-1363. Also in Lebanon, the frequency used by appliances and electronic gadgets is 50 Hz.

For a tourist who wants to spend some time in Lebanon some of the things he or she must consider are the compatibility of the voltages of appliances and electronic gadgets and electrical outlet as well as the shape of the plugs. There are adapters that would alter the shape of the plug so that it could be used together with the electrical outlet present in Lebanon. These adapters come in different kinds and are designed for particular types of plugs, however, there is also the universal adapter that could be used for any type of plug. Aside from the adapter, a tourist in Lebanon might also need a voltage converter. Examples of voltage converters that could be used in Lebanon are network-resistor converter, step-up and step-down transformer, and combination voltage converter. These will allow safe and efficient use of electronic gadgets and appliances in Lebanon even though the voltages are not compatible.

Type A NEMA 1-15 / JIS C 8303 (North American Non-grounded, Non-polarized)Plug, Adapter, and Electrical Outlet

Type A plug and outlet

The NEMA 1-15 is mostly found in North America and in the east mediterranean area  like Lebanon.The NEMA 1-15 is also known as the Type A North American/Japanese 2-blade electrical adapter plug and electrical outlet. It also has the technical name North American 15 A/125 V ungrounded. The NEMA 1-15 is a flat blade attachment plug that uses two flat parallel pins or blades.

Older designs allow the blades to be inserted either way; however, contemporary  NEMA 1-15 plugs in Lebanon are designed with the neutral blade wider than the live blade allowing just one way of plugging and ensuring that the polarized plug is inserted appropriately into the electrical outlet. The new design of NEMA 1-15 changed so much that it will not fit in the old type of NEMA 1-15 electrical outlet in Lebanon. This is used used for smaller devices that do not really need a ground connection. With the NEMA 1-15 adapter, the receptacle end will accept any standard household plug in Lebanon, aside from the Type M South African SABS1661 plug, which is also known as the Old British BS-546 Large plug.

Type A adapter

Although the NEMA 1-15 looks similar to the plugs of the U.S. and Canada and the appliance and electronic gadgets might be manufactured in the said countries, an adapter might still be needed because of the grounding and polarization requirements in Lebanon. In the NEMA 1-15 plug and electrical outlet, grounding is done by the third, round pin located beneath the two vertical blades on the plug. On the other hand, polarization is done by the left vertical blade being taller than the right one. If the plug does have grounding or polarization and the electrical socket does not have one, it would be physically impossible to insert the plug into the electrical socket in Lebanon. If this happens to a tourist in Lebanon and there is also no adapter present, that person might not be able to use his or her electronic gadgets and appliances. The NEMA 1-15 plug is also non-polarized and non-grounded which is very important. The blades of this adapter that is usually needed by tourists when they are spending some time in Lebanon are 6.4mm long, 1.5mm thick, and are spaced 12.7mm apart. There is also another socket in Lebanon that is commonly used in Japan, the JIS X 8303 Class II (Japanese 15 A/100 V ungrounded) which is similar to the NEMA 1-15, the only difference from Lebanon is the stricter dimensional requirements for the plug housing, marking, and mandatory testing and approval.

Type B NEMA 5-15 (North American Grounded)

Type B plug and outlet

The Type B NEMA 5-15 in Lebanon is a class I plug that has two flat parallel prongs and a grounding pin, rated at 15 amps. For the specifications, the Type B NEMA 5-15 has blade contacts 6.4mm tall, 15mm thick, and are spaced 12.7mm apart. The grounding pin of this plug in Lebanon, on the other hand, is 4.8mm in diameter. Although the Type B NEMA 5-15 is grounded, it is not polarized and must be used with care. Moreover, the Type B NEMA 5-15 is often used in North and Central America as well as Japan, and it is also what is used in Lebanon.

Type B adapter

It also compatible with any standard household plug in Lebanon, except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. In Japan, this kind of plug and electrical outlet is the standard. Similar to Type A NEMA 1-15 plugs, the NEMA 5-15 in Lebanon is also one of the most dangerous plugs in the world because the prongs are not insulated. The black covering that is supposed to cover the plug body is lacking hence if the plug is pulled halfway and the prongs are still inserted in the electrical outlet, there might be some accidents like electrocution that could happen in Lebanon.

Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug Adapter, Plug, and Electrical Outlet

Type C plug and outlet

The Type C Europlug is also known as the CEE 7/16 (Europlug 2.5 A/250 V unearthed), which is a bit similar, only slightly smaller, to the CEE 7/17 and is one of the more commonly used electrical outlet and plug types in Lebanon. The pins of the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced apart by 19mm. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug from any country like Lebanon, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 plug, also known as the Old British BS-546 Large. The plug end of the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug is compatible as well with the other types of sockets used in Europe, like that of the grounded “Type F” German and “Type E” French Schuko socket, “Type L” Italian socket, “Type H” Israeli socket, “Type J” Swiss socket, and “Type K” Danish socket, although connections to some of these sockets are non-grounded.

Type C adapter

The Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug alters the shape of the appliance’s plug so that it could be used into a “Type C” European CEE 7/16 Class II non-grounded Europlug socket or a Soviet-era Russian GOST 7396 Class II non-grounded socket commonly used in Lebanon. In using appliances and gadgets in Lebanon, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug could also be safely used along with the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type E European CEE 7/4 Schuko, Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko, and some Type L electrical outlet. This plug in Lebanon is also non-polarized and non-grounded. In most countries like Lebanon, the usual electrical outlet used is the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug.

In addition to Lebanon there are also countries in Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim region, Central and South America, and Caribbean that use this kind of adapter. Some of these countries are Greece, Greenland, Madagascar, Tunisia, Vietnam, Philippines, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Iceland, Laos, Russia, and Luxembourg.

Type D Indian BS-546 Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type D plug

The receptacle end of this Type D Indian BS-546 plug is also compatible with common household plugs except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. Although the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is not the standard in Lebanon and other countries, it is still used in various households of Lebanon. The Type D Old British Plug Adapter is most compatible with the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet that is sometimes used in Lebanon.

Tyep D outlet

In this Type D Old British Plug Adapter, the live and neutral pins are 5mm in diameter, spaced 22mm apart, and the grounding pin is 7mm in diameter with the plug being polarized and grounded.  It is an old British standard electrical outlet which is still the primary household electrical outlet in countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong. In terms of design and appearance, the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is often confused with the Type M South African electrical outlet and plug. However, as similar as these two may seem, they are not compatible and must not be used together in Lebanon or even in other countries.

Type D adapter

Also, the Type D Indian BS-546, especially its smaller version, the 2 Ampere plug, is used in United Kingdom for centrally switched domestic lighting circuits so that they can be differentiated from the normal power circuits. The Type D Indian BS-546 also have an unearthed variant but this kind of plug is not compatible with the 3-prong version present in Lebanon because of the distance between the pins. On the other hand, a larger version of the Type D Indian BS-546 is the 15 Ampere has larger live and neutral pins. This type of the Type D Indian BS-546 is also commonly used for non-dimmed but centrally controlled sockets within installations like indoor dimmable theatre and architectural lighting installations in Lebanon.

Type G British BS-1363 3-pin Plug, Electrical Outlet, and Adapter

Type G plug and outlet

The Type G British BS-1363 also has a receptacle end that is compatible with most household plug types, except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. The plug end is a British BS-1363 13-amp type. For the adapter, the live and neutral pins are 4 x 6 x 18 mm apart, with the grounding pin measuring 4 x 8 x 23mm. The plug of this Type G British 3-pin is polarized and grounded but not fused. Also, through the Type G British BS-1363 adapter, a tourist could use his or her appliance or electronic gadget in Lebanon. The Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug is a British 3-pin rectangular blade used widely in Lebanon that has a protective fuse inside to protect cords from high-current circuits and, most of the time, the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet includes a safety switch. Another name for the Type G British BS-1363 plug is the 13-amp plug and for safety reasons the Lebanon requires electrical outlets in households that use the Type G British BS-1363 to have shutters over the live and neutral connections of the electrical outlet. In the insertion of the longer earth pin from the plug, the safety shutters of the Type G British BS-1363 are opened. The shutters are also present to prevent the use of incompatible plugs made to other standards in Lebanon. However, there are cases wherein the safety shutters of this electrical outlet in Iraq could be opened through a screwdriver in order to insert Type C plugs. But then, the usage of Type G British BS-1363 outlet along with another kind of plug is not recommended because these plugs do not have a fuse.

Type G adapter

In terms of compatibility, the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet will work together with the Type G British BS-1363 plug and adapter in Lebanon. The regulation about the safety shutters and fuse is then followed in Lebanon and all the other countries that use the Type G British BS-1363 electrical outlet and plug like the United Kingdom, England, Ghana, Grenada, Macau, Malta, Malaysia, Qatar, Saint Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Scotland and Zimbabwe.

With all the safety measures and features of this plug and outlet, it is considered as one of the safest in Lebanon, even the world. However, with all its features, this type of plug is bulky and cumbersome. Some people claim that the Type G British BS-1363 plug is mostly bigger than the appliances they are connected to but if tourists would want to use their electronic gadget or appliance in Lebanon, then they must have a Type G British BS-1363 adapter. Although the adapter would not change the voltage used, it will enable the plug of the appliance or electronic gadget to be inserted to the electrical outlet used in Lebanon. For the electrical outlet, the Type G British BS-1363 sockets are not compatible with other types of electrical outlet.