Director General:     Dr. Adel Safar

ACSAD is a regional center for research and studies pertaining to the development of the arid and semi-arid areas of the Arab World. It was established in Damascus (capital of the Syrian Arab Republic) in 1971 within the framework of the League of Arab States. ACSAD is governed by the Council of the Arab Ministers of Agriculture.

The main duties

• ACSAD carries out research and studies and conducts training in the following fields:
• Survey and evaluation of the capacities and characteristics of the agricultural natural resources.
• Protection of the agricultural natural resources from deterioration and pollution and identification of the optimum forms for the rehabilitation and exploitation of the deteriorated areas.
• Generation, transfer and use of the appropriate agricultural techniques.
• Survey and evaluation of the socioeconomic characteristics of the population in the production areas and identification of the best methods of improving their productive capacity and standards of living.
• The integrated and sustainable development in specific areas.
• Development of the productive capacity of the plant and animal lines and breeds.
• Activation of the role of the rural  woman and her participation in the agricultural development.

The functional duties

• ACSAD’s functional duties pertaining  to research, studies, training and the dissemination of the technical information include:
• Carrying out tests on the results of research and studies and the new techniques in pilot fields before their transfer to the farmers on a large scale.
• Carrying out pilot development projects depending on the results of ACSAD research and studies.
• Organizing training programs for the agricultural cadres and the technicians working in the development of the Arab arid and semi-arid areas.
• Holding scientific meetings with the aim to spread and disseminate ACSAD expertise in different fields.
• Making feasibility studies of the development projects recommended by the research and studies programs.
• Providing technical advice and assistance to the Arab countries.
• Establishing technical cooperation with the Arab and international organizations.
• Establishing technical cooperation with the technical assistance agencies and the financing institutes and carrying out joint projects which may go beyond the borders of the Arab World.
• Documenting and disseminating  the results pertaining to the work of ACSAD and the country institutions.
  

Member countires (22): Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

i. The General Assembly (The Arab ministers of agriculutre)
      
ii. The Executive Council (Seven representatives from seven Arab member countries)

The Journal of Agriculture and Water in the Arab World (in Arabic); The Camel Journal; Newsletter about camels; Newsletter about date palm; Newsletter about ACSAD activities.