DAMASCUS, 14 March 2004 — Experts from 16 Arab countries converged in Damascus yesterday for a two-day workshop to discuss ways of promoting Arab agricultural production. At the opening session of the workshop, arranged by the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Nouri Rahouma, the assistant general director of ACSAD, said the Arab world faced big challenges that required united efforts in all scientific and agricultural fields to ensure water and food security.