On April 28-30th, a delegation from Saida Municipality visited Barcelona for the second technical mission in the framework of the USUDS Project.

During the visit, several technical sessions were held between both teams. These sessions aimed to share the work done during February and March on the first proposals and draws, and to discuss and prepare the proposals to be presented in Saida for final internal discussion. Moreover, there was another technical session in the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in which students presented different ideas and possibilities for the Saida Old City Water Front and the Fishermen port, which had been developed as part of their programs. The Saida delegation made two more visits to specific sites in the Barcelona Water Front and in Badalona port, as two examples that would illustrate some possibilities for the Saida project. 

The meetings and visits conducted during the technical mission were leaded by with the Barcelona Muncipality technical team composed by Mr.Carles Casamor, architect and Director of Urban Projects Department Urban Habitat Department of the Municipality of Barcelona; Ms. Sandra Bestraten, architect and professor of Polytechnic University of Catalonia in collaboration with the International Cooperation Unit of the International Relations and  Cooperation Department of the Municipality of Barcelona.

During the first day of the mission, the delegation was officially welcomed by the General Manager of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), Mr. Ramon Torra, and experts from the Public Space Department of th AMB to know first-hand projects currently being developed by this Institution. In the farewell session, the Director of International Relations of the Barcelona Muncipality, Mr. Joaquim Llimona, insisted also in the importance of the collaboration between cities of the Mediterranean in the implementation of tangible projects.

The delegation of the Saida Municipality was composed by Mr. Ziad El Hakawati, Civil Engineer and Head of Engineer Department; Mr. Ali Chafic Dali Balta, Architect and Council Member; Mr. Mahmoud Mohamed Chreiteh, Council Member and Mr. Mustafa Hijazi, Engineer and Council Member.

These assessments are a way to start implementing or further advancing projects identified in the process of elaboration of the CDS. Next June, the experts of Barcelona will travel to Saida to present the final result of this collaboration to the Municipal Council.