Syria, Saudi Business Delegation Discuss Port Projects

Qutaiba Badawi, head of Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports and Customs, met in Damascus with a delegation from the Saudi Syrian Business Council led by Mohammed bin Abdullah Abu Nayan to discuss cooperation in ports, free zones and logistics services between the two countries.

Land Crossings Status

The meeting reviewed the status of land crossings and truck and transit movement, particularly through the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, along with plans to expand passenger, transit, import and export lanes and truck yards, and to speed up procedures to reduce truck waiting times and support smoother trade flows.

Industrial and Trade Cooperation

The two sides discussed cooperation opportunities in the industrial sector, investment incentives, and facilitation of exports and imports, in addition to:

• Aligning Syrian and Saudi specifications and standards
• Strengthening cooperation in training, laboratories and quality control
• Reviewing refrigerated transport procedures and expediting the clearance of fresh food products

Badawi presented an overview of operations at Syrian ports and crossings, and the authority's plans to develop infrastructure and raise operational efficiency, alongside projects to develop maritime ports, expand free zones, and establish new dry ports.

Vision for Logistics Integration

Both sides affirmed the importance of building on the growing Syrian Saudi relations to move toward sustainable economic and investment partnerships covering ports, free zones, dry ports, transport, industry, agriculture, energy and infrastructure, based on the economic feasibility of projects.

The Saudi delegation also stressed the importance of viewing cooperation between the two countries within a broader vision of economic and logistical integration, leveraging Syria's geographic location to serve as a logistics platform on the Mediterranean, through an interconnected network linking maritime ports, dry ports, free zones, railways, industrial cities and land crossings with neighboring countries.

Next Steps

The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue coordination and form a technical team to study a joint logistics strategy between Syria and Saudi Arabia, identify contact points to follow up on infrastructure projects and proposed investments, and continue organizing truck movement and trade facilitation, paving the way for joint projects in the coming period.

The meeting was attended by businessmen and representatives of economic and investment sectors, as well as Saudi commercial attache in Syria Faisal Al Qahtani, following a joint forum organized a day earlier by the Syrian Saudi and Saudi Syrian business councils at the Seven Gates Hotel in Damascus.