Petra, Oct. 20 (Petra) -- The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) concluded on Tuesday a specialized training program on archaeological restoration and conservation, held under the patronage of PDTRA Chief Commissioner Adnan Al Sawair and Ambassador of Italy to Jordan, Pier Luigi Zamporlini.

The program was implemented under a joint agreement between PDTRA, the Department of Antiquities, the Italian Building for Peace and Qualification Training Center, and Sila for Heritage Training and Conservation, supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

Designed to build local capacity in heritage conservation according to international technical standards and occupational safety requirements, the program graduated 50 young men and women from the local community across two cohorts.

Al Sawair highlighted the importance of the Jordanian-Italian partnership in advancing restoration standards in Petra, noting that local capacity building remains a priority for sustainable development and community engagement in preserving the World Heritage site.

Ambassador Zamporlini emphasized Italy's commitment to supporting heritage conservation in Jordan, stating that specialized technical training transfers expertise and establishes qualified local teams to execute restoration work to global standards.

Separately, PDTRA hosted a graduation ceremony for 18 women who completed a specialized dairy production training course under the "Dairy Maker" program, implemented in collaboration with the Italian Habibi Association and the Al-Nidaa Cooperative.

The course focused on practical skills in dairy processing to enable participants to produce high-quality local goods and launch home-based or micro-enterprises, generating sustainable family income.

Al Sawair noted that vocational training aims to transition participants directly into active production, while Ambassador Zamporlini stressed that investing in women's economic empowerment strengthens local household resilience.

During the event, PDTRA and the Habibi Association (Associazione Habibi) signed a cooperation agreement to deliver a 96-hour culinary and food preparation training course over two months, targeting 10 participants from the local Jordanian and Syrian refugee communities in Petra.

//Petra// AF