A delegation from the Near East Foundation (NEF)—an organization dedicated to building prosperous and sustainable communities in the Middle East and Africa since 1915—visited the headquarters of the Syrian Federation of Chambers of Industry. The delegation was headed by Mr. Jonathan Peters, Deputy Director of Programs, Ms. Sara Kolak, Syria Country Director, and Mr. Houssam Abdel Aziz from the organization's office in Syria.The delegation was received by Dr. Mazen Deirwan, President of the Syrian Federation of Chambers of Industry, and Engineer Ayman Al-Moulawi, Secretary-General of the Federation and President of the Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Countryside, in the presence of Mr. Khaldoun Daddo, Director of the Federation.Mr. Peters summarized the foundation's global activities, which focus on supporting vulnerable communities to implement economic projects that help achieve sustainable development. These activities include providing training programs, trainers, and micro-credit interest-free loan packages starting from $700 up to $5,000 for micro-enterprises. These projects are supervised and monitored by a specialized committee from the organization, benefiting more than 5,500 people in Syria over the past five years.Furthermore, he highlighted the ambition to expand these beneficial programs in cooperation with the Syrian private sector. This expansion includes soft loan programs reaching up to $80,000, with a strong focus on projects related to agriculture, alternative energy, innovation, as well as cold storage and refrigeration.Dr. Mazen welcomed the delegation and expressed the Federation's full readiness to cooperate with the foundation, linking it with potential beneficiaries. He requested a comprehensive package of the services provided by the organization in order to circulate it to all Syrian Chambers of Industry.He also pointed out the rapid growth of the Syrian economy and the high efficiency of its workforce. He called on all international entities to facilitate operations with Syria, particularly regarding commercial, industrial, and financial exchanges, urging that Syria be treated equally to other countries in the world.At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties agreed to conduct a survey to identify the current priorities and needs of Syrian industrialists. This survey will be presented to the foundation to study how to best provide the required support
23/8/2026
