August 2008

The greatest challenge facing the region is the inability of its nations to preserve their human capital. This is especially true in a world in which national affiliations are being overtaken by a sense of “global citizenship” that is being driven by the desire to pursue economic and social prosperity.  I will focus my remarks on four areas: opportunity, choice, entrepreneurship, and future.

With America slowly losing economic and political ground, many see China as a counter-power that will even-up the playing field long left one-sided.

The center of our world’s gravity seems to be changing, deviating to the East. China and India are no longer the over-populated, under developed countries of yesteryear. China especially, which became the third largest economy (after the US and Japan) with a GDP of $3.42 trillion, and is hailed as the “fastest growing major nation,” with an annual GDP growth rate above 10%. China is now among the world economic competitors as a producer, but both China and India are now being seen as a fresh source of consumers for international products.

While the world debates who will be the next president of the United States, Washington insiders are talking about who will be the next vice-president, or as Americans call him, or her, the Veep.

Last month, Aaron Miller, one of President Bill Clinton’s former aides visited me at my office in the Embassy. I thought it would only be a courtesy visit to present me with his new book, “The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace.” However, the conversation with him was so startlingly candid and insightful that I thought I should convey it to my readers.

The article has moved to Forward's new website:

http://www.forwardsyria.com/story/92/Weaving%20Belgian%20lace%20from%20Syrian%20thread

Syria has for decades followed economic policies aimed at encouraging multi-sector systems based on the public, private and mixed sectors. Four decades have shown that what practically remains from pluralism is the private sector. The public sector started with nationalization, and then was given a boost after 1973 with financial aid from Arab States, the second Gulf War, and surplus from oil. However, the public sector is ailing while the government still has a major role to play in the transformation to a market economy, which requires a lot of investment in infrastructure, while the budget is witnessing record deficit.
The realities of changing economic conditions internally and externally dictate giving priority to Public/Private Partnership (PPP).

Driven by wealthy natural resources, growing manufacturing industries, and inventive minds, the Syrian government has made another revolutionary decision to support its industrial sector by establishing the Aleppo Industrial City (AIC) in 2004.

AIC is located to the northeast of Aleppo in the Sheikh Najjar district and was given administrative and financial independence. The whole site of 4412 hectares is constructed on rocky, non-agricultural, and non-populated land in order to design the industrial installations in a previously unproductive area, and to provide an incentive environment for Syrian and foreign investors.

The British-Syrian Society (BSS) held the first International Lawyer’s Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus last July, under the patronage of President Bashar al-Assad. The event, supported by the Law Society of England and Wales and the American Bar Association, provided Syrian and foreign lawmakers with the opportunity to mingle, discuss new ideas, and find common ground to enhance legal practices in Syria and the Arab world. The entire event was the brainchild of BSS, and showed how active and effective such an organization can be at building bridges between Syria and the United Kingdom.

July 7, 2008, and in collaboration between the State Planning Commission and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), was the launching of Project SYR/08/001 ”Enhancing Civic Engagement in CSR Through Inclusive Growth Based Civic-Private Sector Partnerships.” The event was held under the patronage of Tayseer Al Redawi, Head of the State Planning Commission, and in the presence of Talal Abu Ghazaleh, the Deputy Chairperson of the UN Global Compact.

Nawar Sukkar: I am very optimistic

As the government relies more and more on the private sector to fill in the gaps services provision, Nawar Sukkar, President of The Nasco Group, talks to FW: Magazine about his many divisions, the importance of learning from others, and joining the forces of the public and private sectors.

Nawar Sukkar & Co. “NASCO,” was established in 1988, providing services for oil companies. “We are the main service provider for oil companies operating in Syria. We provide the manpower, catering, transportation, and civil work as our core business,” says Sukkar.

Drivers and pedestrians share responsibility to make it home safe and sound

A popular cliche that decorates the bumper of vehicles in Syria reads, “Daddy, better late than never.” With the change in the local traffic laws, FW: takes a look at how effective these regulations have been, how successfully they’ve been implemented, and the urgent need for environmentally friendly mass transit.