As part of efforts to promote local development in the city of Bethlehem, a delegation from the Bethlehem Municipal Council visited His Excellency Minister Nasser Qatami, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Arab and Islamic Funds, to discuss ways to support the city and its priority projects.
The delegation included Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati, his deputy, Sister Lucy Thaljieh, and members of the Municipal Council, Mr. Hanna Hanania, Mr. Samir Abu Dayyeh, and Ms. Rehab Abu Ahour, in addition to Engineer Ziad Al-Sayeh, Director of the Planning and Projects Department.
The meeting addressed the economic challenges facing the city, especially in light of the decline in tourism. The importance of Bethlehem was emphasized, given its religious and national symbolism.
The two sides also discussed the priority of establishing a vocational school in Bethlehem to meet the growing needs in the vocational education sector and open new job prospects for youth. The Minister briefed the delegation on ongoing efforts to secure funding for this project in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. On the other hand, the Mayor stressed the importance of completing the model municipal slaughterhouse project, given its vital role in serving the Bethlehem Governorate and enhancing food safety standards. For his part, the Minister expressed his willingness to follow up on the matter and recommend providing additional funding from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, which funded the first and second phases of the project. The meeting concluded with the Mayor of Bethlehem presenting the Minister with a set of project proposals related to developing the city’s infrastructure and health sector, as part of the municipality’s vision to enhance the quality of life for citizens.