Petra:The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) has successfully concluded a specialized training program focused on archaeological restoration and conservation. This initiative was held under the patronage of PDTRA Chief Commissioner Adnan Al Sawair and the Ambassador of Italy to Jordan, Pier Luigi Zamporlini.
According to Jordan News Agency, the program was part of a joint agreement involving PDTRA, the Department of Antiquities, the Italian Building for Peace and Qualification Training Center, and Sila for Heritage Training and Conservation. Support came from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The program, aimed at building local capacity in heritage conservation according to international standards, saw the graduation of 50 young men and women from the local community in two cohorts.
Al Sawair emphasized the significance of the Jordanian-Italian partnership in enhancing restoration standards in Petra, highlighting the importance of local capacity building for sustainable development and community involvement in preserving the World Heritage site. Ambassador Zamporlini reiterated Italy's commitment to heritage conservation in Jordan, noting that these specialized training programs help transfer expertise and create qualified local teams for restoration work.
In a separate event, PDTRA held a graduation ceremony for 18 women who completed a specialized dairy production training course under the "Dairy Maker" program. This course, organized in collaboration with the Italian Habibi Association and the Al-Nidaa Cooperative, provided practical skills in dairy processing to help participants produce high-quality local goods and start home-based or micro-enterprises.
Al Sawair pointed out that such vocational training programs aim to integrate participants directly into active production, while Ambassador Zamporlini highlighted the role of investing in women's economic empowerment to strengthen local household resilience. Additionally, PDTRA and the Habibi Association signed a cooperation agreement to offer a 96-hour culinary and food preparation training over two months, targeting 10 participants from local Jordanian and Syrian refugee communities in Petra.