Internal Security Forces
The Internal Security Forces (ISF) is Lebanon's primary national law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Interior, employing over 10,000 personnel across 100+ stations nationwide. It provides free public security services including criminal investigation, traffic enforcement, cybercrime, prison administration, and diplomatic protection, funded entirely by government budget allocation.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersAchrafieh, Lebanon
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Internal Security Forces does
Internal Security Forces (ISF), officially the Directorate General of Internal Security Forces (المديرية العامة لقوى الأمن الداخلي), is Lebanon's primary national law enforcement agency operating under the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities. Founded in the 1860s and reorganized in 1959, the force is headquartered at the Ibrahim El-Khoury Barracks in Ashrafieh, Beirut, and employs over 10,000 personnel across more than 100 police stations, emergency stations, traffic detachments, and specialized units covering all Lebanese territories. Its operational scope spans administrative and judicial police functions, criminal investigation, anti-drug operations, cybercrime, border security, traffic enforcement, prison administration, and diplomatic mission protection.
The organization is structured into 10 organizational units including the ISF Institute (training academy), General Inspectorate (oversight and human rights monitoring), Mobile Forces, Embassy Security Apparatus, Beirut Police, Territorial Gendarmerie, Central Administration, Judiciary Police, Information Branch, and Social Services. It operates a multi-language digital portal (isf.gov.lb) offering citizen-facing services such as anonymous crime reporting (hotline 1788), traffic ticket management, missing persons alerts, judicial decisions lookup, and medical allowances for retired personnel. The ISF Institute in Ain Dara serves as a modern training facility with smart boards, indoor/outdoor shooting ranges, and a 40,000 sqm training village with realistic scenarios. The force maintains dedicated hotlines including 112 (general emergency), 1744 (General Inspectorate), and 1745 (domestic violence), and publishes an Internet Security Awareness program covering online safety, child protection, and financial transaction security.
ISF is funded entirely through Lebanese government budget allocations and provides all services free of charge to the public, making it a non-commercial state entity with no revenue model in the traditional sense. It is governed by a Director General (currently Major General Raed Abdallah, appointed March 2025) under the Minister of Interior, with no private equity, venture capital, or external investor relationships. The institution has 165 years of accumulated institutional experience and maintains international partnerships with diplomatic missions, the European Union, and academic institutions including a 2026 MoU with the Lebanese French University.
Internal Security Forces firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Internal Security Forces
- Legal name
- Directorate General of Internal Security Forces (المديرية العامة لقوى الأمن الداخلي)
- Website
- https://isf.gov.lb
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- The Internal Security Forces (ISF) is Lebanon's primary national law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Interior, employing over 10,000 personnel across 100+ stations nationwide. It provides free public security services including criminal investigation, traffic enforcement, cybercrime, prison administration, and diplomatic protection, funded entirely by government budget allocation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Internal Security Forces industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Safety and Law Enforcement
- NAICS
- Police Protection (92212), National Security and International Affairs (9281), National Security (928110), Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612)
- SIC
- Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Operations & Counterterrorism (BPAIAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Sector Guarding (Government Buildings, Courthouses) (BPAKAAAG), Diplomatic / Government Official Close Protection (BPAKABAF)
Keywords
Where Internal Security Forces is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Achrafieh
- HQ country
- Lebanon
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices21 records
Markets served
Internal Security Forces business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Budget Allocation: Funded through Lebanese government national budget allocations for public security services
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Internal Security Forces product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Internal Security Forces is Lebanon's primary national law enforcement agency providing public safety, criminal investigation, traffic enforcement, and emergency response services. It operates 10 specialized units including the Information Branch for intelligence, General Inspectorate for oversight, Regional Gendarmerie for territorial policing, and the ISF Institute for personnel training. Services are delivered free of charge to citizens through digital portals and a network of 100+ police stations, emergency stations, and traffic detachments covering all Lebanese territories.
Product overview
The Internal Security Forces website serves as the official digital portal of Lebanon's national police force, offering citizen-facing services alongside internal institutional information. The platform provides a unified gateway to services including anonymous crime reporting, traffic ticket management, missing persons alerts, and medical benefits for retired personnel. The site also hosts institutional sections covering the ISF Institute (training academy), Information Branch (intelligence/ investigations), General Inspectorate (oversight and human rights monitoring), and the Shooting Club. A tender portal enables supplier engagement, while publications including ISF magazines document force activities. The platform architecture consists of web-based citizen services integrated with internal police operations, accessible in Arabic, English, and French.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ISF Magazines (Al-Amen, Fata Al-Amen, Security Studies): Official publications of the Internal Security Forces including Al-Amen (414 issues), Fata Al-Amen (391 issues), and Security Studies (109 issues)
Products and services
- Anonymous Complaints Service A secure channel allowing citizens to submit anonymous tips and complaints to the Internal Security Forces regarding crimes or suspicious activities.
- Traffic Tickets System Online portal for citizens to view and manage traffic violations and associated judicial decisions.
- Missing Persons Reporting Service for publishing and tracking missing persons cases to facilitate public assistance in locating individuals.
- Medical Allowances for Retired Personnel Benefits portal for retired ISF members to access medical allowances and healthcare support.
- Internet Security Awareness Program Educational resources and guidance on cybersecurity best practices, protecting children online, and preventing cybercrimes including electronic extortion.
- ISF Institute Training Programs The training academy for Internal Security Forces providing basic, continuous, and specialized training programs for ISF personnel and other security institutions.
- Information Branch Services Intelligence and investigative unit handling citizen complaints, crime reports, and criminal intelligence gathering. Accepts reports via email ([email protected]) and hotline 1788.
- General Inspectorate Oversight Services Oversight body monitoring ISF services across all sectors, investigating citizen complaints about ISF personnel, and monitoring human rights compliance. Handles domestic violence cases via hotline 1744.
- Judicial Decisions for Traffic Violations Public access to court rulings related to traffic offenses issued by the judiciary.
- ISF Shooting Club Recreational shooting facility at the Emile Helou barracks in Beirut offering pistol shooting sports and training for ISF members and authorized civilians.
- ISF Magazines Official publications including Al-Amen, Fata Al-Amen, and Security Studies magazines covering ISF activities and security topics.
- Tender Portal Online portal for equipment and construction tenders, displaying active procurement opportunities for suppliers and contractors.
Companies that use Internal Security Forces
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Internal Security Forces technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Internal Security Forces partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lebanese French University (Université Libanaise Française)coreMemorandum of Understanding signed between ISF and Lebanese French University for academic cooperation. University will provide special scholarships to serving ISF members, their families, and families of retired personnel. This partnership aims to strengthen integration between security and academic institutions and promote knowledge-based security.
- U.S. Embassy in LebanonminorMajor General Raed Abdallah received the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon for diplomatic cooperation discussions at ISF General Headquarters.
- Siren AssociatesminorJoint workshop on community policing concept held at Jounieh Municipality with participation of ISF, Keserwan Federation of Municipalities, and coastal municipalities. Workshop aimed to strengthen cooperation between security agencies, municipal police, and citizens.
- Dar Al-Amal AssociationminorGender sensitivity training session organized at Women's Prison in Tripoli. Association's social worker conducted training for female prison guards on gender-sensitive practices and treatment of female inmates.
- European UnionminorEU Ambassador participated in opening ceremony of Zouheir Joudi building in Jimayzeh, sponsored by Major General Osman, indicating ongoing EU support for ISF infrastructure development.
- SpainminorSpanish Ambassador participated in opening ceremony of Zouheir Joudi building in Jimayzeh, indicating bilateral cooperation in security infrastructure development.
- Keserwan Federation of MunicipalitiesminorParticipated in community policing workshop with ISF and coastal municipalities to strengthen cooperation between security agencies and local authorities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Internal Security Forces competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- INTERPOL: International police-coordination organization with which ISF's Information Branch and cybercrime units interface for cross-border cases. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (France): French national police force that historically served as the institutional model for ISF under the French Mandate. Closest comparable in policing doctrine, uniform structure, and investigative methodology.
- State Security (Lebanon): Lebanese state-security agency with overlapping internal-security and intelligence mandate. Closely comparable on geographic jurisdiction and remit overlap, though narrower in the policing-services set.
- Lebanese General Security (قوى الأمن العام): Sister Lebanese internal-security agency under the same Ministry of Interior umbrella, with overlapping responsibilities in border control, residency, and general policing. The most directly comparable peer given shared jurisdiction, geography, and mandate overlap.
Regional players
- Dubai Police: UAE emirate-level police force widely regarded for digital-service leadership in policing. Comparable on the citizen-facing digital-services dimension and on multi-unit specialization (cyber, traffic, special operations).
- Public Security Directorate (Jordan): Jordan's primary internal-security and public-police directorate, with a similar multi-unit structure (gendarmerie, traffic, special units). Strong regional comparator given shared French-influenced policing tradition.
- Abu Dhabi Police: UAE emirate-level police force with comparable structure — traffic, criminal investigation, community policing, and special units. Useful regional comparator on operational scale and modernization pace.
Broad incumbents
- Metropolitan Police Service (UK): Large metropolitan police force with comparable functions (cybercrime, counterterrorism, community policing, public-order policing). A broad incumbent reference point for institutional scale and service breadth.
- Lebanese Armed Forces: Lebanon's broader national-security institution, overlapping with ISF on counterterrorism, border security, and internal order. A larger incumbent across the same geography with a wider defense remit.
- New York City Police Department: Large municipal police force with comparable functions across cybercrime, counterterrorism (joint operations), traffic, transit, and community policing. Useful comparator for digital-service maturity and multi-unit coordination.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Internal Security Forces social profiles
Digital presenceInternal Security Forces financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Internal Security Forces leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Internal Security Forces subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries11 records
Internal Security Forces funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Internal Security Forces M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Internal Security Forces
What does Internal Security Forces do?
The Internal Security Forces is Lebanon's primary national law enforcement agency providing public safety, criminal investigation, traffic enforcement, and emergency response services. It operates 10 specialized units including the Information Branch for intelligence, General Inspectorate for oversight, Regional Gendarmerie for territorial policing, and the ISF Institute for personnel training. Services are delivered free of charge to citizens through digital portals and a network of 100+ police stations, emergency stations, and traffic detachments covering all Lebanese territories.
Is Internal Security Forces a public or private company?
Internal Security Forces is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Internal Security Forces founded?
Internal Security Forces was founded in 1959. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Internal Security Forces based?
Internal Security Forces is headquartered in Achrafieh, Lebanon, in the Middle East region.
How does Internal Security Forces make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Budget Allocation.
Who are Internal Security Forces's main competitors?
INTERPOL is listed as an others. Direct peers are Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (France), State Security (Lebanon) and Lebanese General Security (قوى الأمن العام). Regional players are Dubai Police, Public Security Directorate (Jordan) and Abu Dhabi Police. Broad incumbents are Metropolitan Police Service (UK), Lebanese Armed Forces and New York City Police Department.
Does Internal Security Forces have an API?
No public API is recorded for Internal Security Forces.
What industry is Internal Security Forces in?
Internal Security Forces's product category is Public Safety and Law Enforcement. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAH, Special Operations & Counterterrorism, with a secondary code of BPAKAAAG, Public Sector Guarding (Government Buildings, Courthouses). Its NAICS code is 92212 and its SIC code is 7381.