The Syrian embassy in Berlin has returned the passport of a citizen that the former Assad government seized 43 years ago. Adnan Wahoud, a mechanical engineer and inventor residing in Germany, says his passport was confiscated because he refused to cooperate with the former government.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
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Syrian Airlines unveiled its new visual identity in a ceremony at Damascus Airport, featuring a revamped colour scheme, modernised booking and payment platforms, and a mobile app launching in November.
Published On 6 Oct 20266 Oct 2026
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By Matthew LeeAP Diplomatic Writer
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is removing Syria from a list of countries that are not allowed to purchase or import U.S. weaponry, a step that is part of a monthslong process of easing sanctions on the new government in Damascus and its leaders.
In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, so that Syria no longer was among the nations subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals needed for the sale of U.S. weapons and munitions.
The change effective Thursday means that arms sales requests from Syria will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.
President Donald Trump acted last year to ease economic sanctions on Syria that had been in place for decades during now-ousted President Bashar Assad’s rule. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, helping paving the way for the latest step in drawing closer to the current government.
The State Department has also announced plans to reopen the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. It has been closed for 14 years.
With Syria’s removal from the ITAR blacklist, only seven countries remain subject to the policy of denial for licenses for U.S. arms exports: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.
Syria’s interim president, former rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, overthrew the Assad government nearly two years ago and has embarked on a policy of change that has impressed the Trump administration. His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.
Wednesday’s withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq may mean that the Syrian government plays a greater role in preventing an IS resurgence.
Lee writes for the Associated Press.
The Gulf war is bringing Syria back onto the MENA business map.
Syria’s coast is gaining new strategic importance as investors look to build trade routes linking Gulf countries and Iraq to North Africa and the rest of the Mediterranean, and to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
Traffic at Syrian ports has increased at least 25% since March 2026. According to recent data from Syria’s General Authority for Borders and Customs, 945 ships carrying 8 million tons of cargo have passed through the country’s ports in the first half of 2026.
In Tartus, Dubai-based logistics giant DP World has invested $800 million in a 30-year concession to develop and operate port facilities. Three harbor cranes delivered this summer are expected to boost cargo-handling capacity by 40% and allow larger vessels to dock.
“By investing in world-class infrastructure, technology and our people, we are creating a modern gateway that will strengthen supply chains, attract new trade opportunities and contribute to the country’s long-term economic recovery,” said Fahad al-Banna, CEO of DP World Tartus, in a press conference.
Further north, French shipping and logistics major CMA-CGM – whose founding Saadé family has roots on the Syrian coast – secured a similar $265 million contract to modernize and run maritime infrastructure in Latakia. In May, the group also signed to operate dry ports near Damascus and Aleppo, strengthening road and rail connections between Syria’s two largest cities and maritime hubs.
New infrastructure is emerging to knit Syria’s coast into the wider region including airport renovations, pipelines, and data cables. In August, U.S. firm UNIFI signed a deal for 149-mile submarine cable connecting Cyprus and Tartous, helping data flow from the Gulf to Europe.
The projects are part of wider billion-dollar investment pledges across Syria, following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the end of the 14-year civil war.
“The coast is shifting from a military geography to a commercial one” comments Benjamin Feve, senior consultant at Karam Shaar Advisory Limited. “Tartus was once the Russian naval foothold; today, it is a concession operated by global port operators”. In August, Moscow agreed to return all civilian infrastructure to the Syrian state and said its military bases will be turned into joint training centers.
Since he seized power in December 2024, President Ahmad al-Charaa has secured broad international support, notably from U.S. President Donald Trump who called him a “real leader.” Late August, Washington removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, the latest in a series of measures unwinding decades of sanctions on Damascus.
On the ground, Gulf states are the biggest backers of Syrian reconstruction with billions of announced investments, but few projects have yet materialized, and many in Syria fear the momentum could slip away.
“High oil prices give Riyadh and Abu Dhabi greater budget flexibility, which is certainly an opportunity for Syria, but not necessarily a fundamental shift,” said Feve. “Gulf capitals are buying an option on Syria’s geography, but trade volumes are only about one-fifth of pre-2011 levels. So, while new activity is real, it remains weak and once the war is over, maybe the Strait of Hormuz will regain its role as a key transit route, and GCC countries will look away from Syria again”
Despite appearances of restored peace, the Syrian coast remains a tricky place to do business. In 2025, deadly clashes between the new government and allies of Assad killed nearly 1,500 people.
Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reports on explosions that rocked a Syrian army ammunition depot south of Aleppo, injuring at least four people. Exploding missiles and ammunition hampered rescue efforts, while authorities closed nearby roads.
Published On 21 Sep 202621 Sep 2026
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Officials urge civilians to stay away from site in Al-Eis near Aleppo after series of explosions.
Published On 21 Sep 202621 Sep 2026
Powerful explosions at a weapons depot in northern Syria have injured at least four people, according to state media, with officials urging the public to stay away from the site.
The explosions occurred early on Monday at a Syrian army site in the vicinity of the town of al-Eis, south of the city of Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency reported.
The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.
Faisal Mohammad Ali, the head of civil defence operations in Aleppo, told SANA that rescuers have evacuated four injured people from the site.
Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from Aleppo, said a series of blasts has followed the initial explosion.
“The explosions are audible from a few kilometres away from the site. We have now seen a series of ambulances and fire trucks enter towards the position,” he reported.
Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib urged residents not to leave their homes for the time being, adding that “hospitals, ambulance and emergency teams are on full alert”.
Roads leading to the site of the explosions were closed “to ensure the safety of civilians”, Aleppo’s Internal Security Command said.
A resident of Aleppo’s Hamdaniyeh neighbourhood told the AFP news agency that they heard a “huge explosion” and when they went up to the roof could see “large flames in the distance”.
Several such blasts have previously occurred in Syria, which is emerging from more than a decade of civil war following the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
An explosion of unknown origin killed 11 people at a military site in the eastern province of Deir Az Zor on Friday.
Earlier this month, an explosion at a weapons depot belonging to the Ministry of Defence killed 14 people and injured 11 in Syria’s northwest Idlib province.
Five people were killed just over a week earlier in the same area when a vehicle carrying munitions exploded.
A child has been killed after an explosive object detonated when he touched it near Damascus. Relatives identified him as Khaled al-Ajeelah. Explosive remnants of war continue to endanger civilians across Syria. Warning: Contains distressing images.
Published On 13 Sep 202613 Sep 2026
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JEDDAH: The first Syrian Industries Exhibition recently concluded in Jeddah, bringing together more than 160 Syrian companies and factories, and attracting business figures, importers and distributors seeking commercial and investment opportunities in the Saudi market.
Held over four days at the Jeddah Center for Exhibitions and Events under the patronage of the Jeddah Chamber, the expo focused on business-to-business opportunities in supply, distribution, investment and partnerships.
The event facilitated meetings between Syrian manufacturers and Saudi businesses to establish partnerships, sign supply and distribution contracts, and conclude memoranda of understanding to support the entry of Syrian products into the Saudi market.
Agreements covered four main sectors: food, textile, chemical and engineering industries. The expo also highlighted investment incentives, facilities and regulatory procedures for establishing joint ventures between the two countries.
A knowledge program featured seminars and panel discussions on legal procedures, trade incentives, partnership mechanisms, and the shift from traditional trade to industrial investment and joint production.
Pavilions showcased food, textile, engineering and chemical industries, along with agriculture, tourism, culture and labor, highlighting opportunities for economic cooperation between Saudi and Syrian businesses.
The expo provided a platform to strengthen economic and trade ties, explore investment opportunities and build partnerships supporting economic development and shared interests.