The Minister of Economy and Trade, Amer Al-Bassat, identified three strategic priorities for cooperation with the Sidon Municipality, which are revitalizing the city’s port, reviving the old city as a tourist, cultural and social destination, as well as supporting the business sector, innovation, and the private sector. The Minister announced, during an official visit to the city, a plan to appoint a new board of directors for the port of Sidon in the near term.
Al-Bassat began his tour by meeting with the Mayor of Sidon, Mustafa Hegazy, in the presence of Vice President Ahmed Akra and a number of members of the Municipal Council. The Minister praised the role and steadfastness of Sidon, stressing that the government pays special attention to it as “the gateway to the south and its capital,” based on the directives of the Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam.
Regarding the Old City file, Al-Bassat stressed the need to move from the stage of presenting ideas to developing clear solutions and implementation mechanisms, in a way that enhances its commercial and tourism role and links it to its historical depth, calling for holding periodic meetings to evaluate achievements on the ground.
The Minister also appreciated the municipality’s efforts in managing daily files, such as waste, organizing traffic, and pricing electric generators, expressing his ministry’s readiness to provide all forms of support and assistance. As part of his visit schedule, Al-Bassat chaired a round table that brought together representatives of economic, cultural and tourism bodies to discuss mechanisms for developing ancient Sidon.
At the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Al-Bassat met with entrepreneurs participating in the “NextGEN” conference, in the presence of MP Abdul Rahman Al-Bizri, Chairman of the Chamber, Muhammad Saleh. The Minister listened to presentations about their projects and the challenges they face, stressing the importance of supporting individual initiatives and innovation in the city.
This visit comes to raise urgent questions about implementation mechanisms, and the extent of the ability of the concerned authorities to transform the declared priorities, especially the appointment of a new administration for the port and the development of the old city, into practical steps that contribute to revitalizing the economic movement of Sidon.
