Sweida, SANA- Relied upon to create new job opportunities for about 30,000 workers and enhance local production, Umm al-Zeitoun Industrial City in Sweida province is one of the significant and vital projects awaiting further support to complete the achievements made in the past period and to activate economic activity in the province.
Infrastructure work started in the city in 2015, aiming to establish a major hub for industries and an investment attraction center that would ensure the protection of the province from environmental pollution resulting from the random spread of industries.
According to Director of Industrial and Craft Zones in Sweida, Eng. Alaa Abu Ammar, the city’s area covers 756 hectares, with the potential to expand up to 1350 hectares, and it features a comprehensive organizational plan that includes 10 sectors for various industrial, craft, commercial, administrative, and other activities.
Eng. Abu Ammar stated that the number of allocated plots is 2059 out of 3630, distributed as follows: 546 industrial plots, 1156 craft plots in the small craft sectors, 350 commercial plots in the profession and commercial crafts sector, 7 plots in the governmental buildings sector, and a temporary administration building.
Additionally, 11 industrial and administrative plots were allocated to public entities, including the Arab Medical Company (Tamiko), the General Company for Mills, the General Company for Building and Construction, the Public Establishment for Electricity Transmission, the Public Establishment for Insurance, the Agricultural Engineers Syndicate, the Chamber of Industry, the Chamber of Commerce, and industrial, real estate, and commercial banks, and the Veterinarians Syndicate.
The number of establishments that began licensing procedures in the industrial city of Umm al-Zeitoun, according to Eng. Abu Ammar, is about 170 industrial establishments, including 64 under construction, 4 under preparation and launch, and 7 that have entered the production phase, out of 315 establishments allocated in the sectors ready for licensing.
Abu Ammar mentioned that the current pace of work is acceptable regarding the infrastructure works of the second phase. The number of completed, ongoing, and contracted infrastructure projects in the city since work commenced has reached 113 projects, with a cost exceeding 8 billion and 600 million Syrian pounds to date.
The industrial city of Umm al-Zeitoun requires further governmental support and securing the necessary funding to implement strategic vital projects such as the 66/20 kV electrical substation and its feeding centers, a wastewater treatment plant, a railway, and the establishment of a dry port, in addition to extending a gas line to operate several licensed establishments, and unifying the administrative licensing reference and building licensing in its administrations to complete and achieve its objectives, according to Eng. Abu Ammar.
The expected outcome upon full operation of the city, as mentioned by Eng. Abu Ammar, is to employ 30,000 workers and achieve comprehensive development in the province, especially with the vision of linking local community products from small and micro projects with the city’s projects.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
