Press reports have recently highlighted a situation involving Syrian refrigerators being held up at the Naseeb crossing. This issue stems from a decision made by Saudi Arabia, which imposed certain conditions and requirements on all trucks, buses, and foreign taxis passing through its territory. Among these conditions is a stipulation that cargo transport trucks used for crossing the Kingdom’s territory must have an operational life of no more than 20 years from the year of manufacture. This requirement has now been extended to trucks destined for Saudi Arabia, leading Jordan to respond by implementing measures in accordance with the Saudi decision. Consequently, the entry of truck cars manufactured in 2004 and earlier has been restricted.
However, the head of the Union of Agriculture, Muhammad Kishto, refuted claims of there being over 2,000 stranded trucks at the Naseeb crossing. He acknowledged a decrease in Syrian exports to the Gulf through this crossing and a recent decline in the number of exported Syrian refrigerators. Kishto cited some challenges in exporting due to the Saudi decision but emphasized that the situation has not escalated to the point where 2,000 trucks are stranded at Naseeb.
On the other hand, the head of the Hal Market Committee, Muwaffaq Fayyad, provided a different perspective. He stated that the actual number of refrigerators stuck at the Naseeb crossing does not surpass 90 units. Furthermore, he explained that Syrian trucks currently spend around five days at the Naseeb border before proceeding to the Gulf via the Jaber crossing.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
