Syria, Arab Academy for Science and Technology Discuss Transport Ties
Syrian Minister of Transport, Yarab Badr, held high-level meetings this week with the President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, Ismail Abdel Ghaffar Ismail, to discuss the modernization of Syria’s transport infrastructure. The discussions, held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Damascus, focused on leveraging international expertise and advanced academic programs to support the development of the Syrian transport sector.
The meeting was attended by a delegation accompanying the Academy president, alongside senior officials from the Syrian Ministry of Transport, including the Minister’s advisor for digital transformation, Riya Arafat, and the advisor for sustainable transport, Sinan Al-Khair. Representatives from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present, underscoring the regional significance of the dialogue.
Central to the agenda was the objective of upgrading the skills of the national workforce to meet the shifting demands of the global market. Minister Badr emphasized that given the rapid technological advancements in global logistics and transit, it is essential for Syria to align its internal training protocols with international standards. He highlighted the urgent need to prepare human resources capable of navigating contemporary challenges in all transport sub-sectors.
In his remarks, Ismail Abdel Ghaffar underscored the importance of fostering integration between academic institutions and specialized government bodies. He proposed that the current framework of cooperation be expanded to include joint workshops and more robust engagement with the Academy’s various branches. The focus will be on creating practical training opportunities that bridge the gap between academic theory and the current needs of the labor market, thereby ensuring that Syrian youth are better positioned for future employment in the logistics and transport industries.
The Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, which was established in 1972 as a specialized regional organization under the umbrella of the Arab League, is headquartered in Alexandria, Egypt. It holds a mandate to provide specialized education, scientific research, and professional training in maritime transport, engineering, logistics, and management. By deepening this collaboration, Syrian authorities aim to draw upon the Academy’s decades of regional experience to bolster institutional capacity and human development within the country’s critical infrastructure sectors. This partnership represents a strategic effort by the Ministry to integrate modern international practices into its long-term development plans for the transport sector.
