RIYADH: The World Bank has allocated $50 million to support vital transportation projects in Syria as the two sides discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of railway and sustainable transport.
The development comes after Syria’s Transport Minister Yarub Badr met World Bank Regional Director for the Middle East Jean-Christophe Carret at the ministry’s headquarters in Damascus to discuss ways to support and develop the country’s transport sector.
Talks focused on improving the skills of workers in the field, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
Funding will be secured for the purchase of 15 new locomotives, in conjunction with a study on maintaining existing locomotives to improve operational efficiency.
The move comes as the World Bank estimates Syria’s reconstruction costs at $216 billion following more than 13 years of conflict, according to its Syria Physical Damage and Reconstruction Assessment 2011–2024 report released in October.
