Minister of Transport Sulaiman Al-Hamdan led a delegation to the 57th meeting of the executive bureau of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers held in Alexandria, Egypt.
Hamdan also headed the Ministry of Transport delegation at the 29th convention of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers, held at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology on Tuesday.
Arab transport ministers discussed several issues on the agenda, including road, rail, maritime, and air transport, to find ways to bolster cooperation among Arab countries to streamline transportation, boost trade, and ease the movement of individuals, ultimately serving the common interests of Arab nations.
Concerning land transport, the council also discussed the possibility of setting common, unified standards to help prepare a draft agreement to regulate the movement of individuals and goods among Arab countries by rail.
Ministers considered studies of possible standards for land transport training centers and the impact of professional vocational training on the skills of Arab motorists, especially medium and heavy haulage drivers.
As for maritime transport, the council discussed the possibility of establishing an independent maritime incident investigation center.
Ministers also discussed the importance of Arab nations joining the International Maritime Organization’s whitelist, as well as the role of marine transportation in strengthening trade between Arab countries and South America.
The council discussed the impact of aviation on climate change and the ICAO’s resolutions in this regard, and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, as well as in-flight law enforcement.
Other issues discussed included the possibility of establishing an institute to prepare leaders for top management positions in industrial and business sectors in the Arab world, with headquarters at the academy.
Election of the eight-member executive bureau for the 2017-2018 term was also part of the meeting agenda.

Source: Arab News