Contract with French CMA CGM to establish dry ports in Syria

The Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Ports announced the signing of a "strategic" memorandum of understanding with CMA CGM, a global leader in maritime transport and logistics services, to establish and operate dry ports in both the Syrian-Jordanian Joint Free Zone and the Adra Free Zone in the Damascus countryside.

This is the second contract signed by the Syrian authorities with the French company CMA CGM. Earlier this month, at the People's Palace, in the presence of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Ports Authority signed a contract with the same French company to invest in and develop the container terminal at the port of Latakia. The contract is valued at 230 million euros and will be valid for a period of up to 30 years.

In a statement issued by the Ports Authority on Friday, the Authority stated that the signing of the latest memorandum of understanding with the French company comes "within the framework of the Authority's vision to develop logistics infrastructure and enhance the role of free zones as pivotal centers for regional trade by linking them to international maritime and land transport networks and achieving effective integration between ports and dry ports, which will contribute to accelerating the movement of goods and reducing costs."

Under the agreement, CMA CGM will manage and operate the dry ports according to the best international standards, providing integrated services including customs clearance, warehousing, and multimodal transport. This will positively impact the investment environment in Syria and the region, according to a statement from the Ports Authority.

Dry ports are designated centers for receiving cargo on land. These are shipped by truck or train. They offer warehouse storage, freight forwarding, maintenance of freight and transport vehicles, and container maintenance. They help reduce the burden on seaports in terms of storage services and the space required. They also include customs inspection services for goods and customs clearance procedures.

The financial details of the new contract with CMA CGM were not disclosed.