The Syrian Minister of Transport and the Investment Authority discuss with an Italian company the development of the train and bus industry

A high-level meeting was held in the capital, Damascus, between the Syrian Minister of Transport, Engineer Yarab Badr, the head of the Investment Authority, Talal Al-Hilali, and a delegation from the Italian engineering company "Blu", to discuss the prospects of joint cooperation aimed at developing the transport industry in Syria, especially in the fields of manufacturing trains and buses.

The meeting came within the framework of the Syrian government's directions to attract quality investments in the transport sector, with the aim of developing infrastructure and supporting the national economy.

The Minister of Transport emphasized during the meeting held at the ministry's headquarters the "importance of creating a comprehensive industrial environment within the country for the manufacturing of modern transport means, and enhancing self-reliance in the field of public transport infrastructure," stressing that "the transport sector represents one of the pillars of economic development."

For his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Italian company, Mohamed Eid, presented a detailed presentation addressing the proposed strategies for establishing a comprehensive industrial system for the manufacturing of trains, buses, and cars in Syria. During the presentation, Eid compared data from Syria and Italy in terms of population density, areas, and the volume of transport movement within and outside cities, "to determine the most suitable types of trains, subways, and buses," along with a feasibility study of costs and specifications of the Italian transport fleet.

The presentation also included topics related to "the importance of qualifying Syrian cadres in the fields of design and manufacturing of trains and electric vehicles, and studying the establishment of specialized factories for that purpose," in addition to developing the freight transport sector and local manufacturing strategies for electric cars.

For his part, the head of the Investment Authority, Talal Al-Hilali, pointed to "the importance of locomotives in supporting immediate economic development and meeting the needs of transporting goods such as phosphate and fuel," noting the "necessity of increasing the number of locomotives, establishing support centers for maintenance and modernization, and rehabilitating the maintenance center in Homs," along with "preparing technical studies for the locomotives currently operating in Syria."

The meeting was attended by the regional director for the Middle East at "Blu", Mohannad Haddad, the company's consultant Amer Al-Takri, the advisor to the Syrian Minister of Economy, Osama Al-Omr, in addition to the assistant minister of transport for land transport affairs, Engineer Mohamed Rahal, the director of land transport, Ali Asber, the director of the General Organization for the Hijaz Railway, Engineer Mohamed Al-Ajami, and the director of the minister's office, Abdul Aziz Mustafa.