damascus

Turkey to Increase Energy Exports to Syria, Says Minister

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday in Damascus that his country would ramp up energy exports to Syria to help boost electricity supplies as its neighbour seeks to recover after years of war. "We want to triple our current electricity exports to meet Syria's electricity needs, and realise an electricity export of ...

Syrians Hope for Economic Recovery After West Lifts Sanctions

At a currency exchange in Damascus, Anas al-Shammaa is one of many Syrians hopeful that promised relief from Western sanctions will help revive their country's economy after years of war and isolation. "We were totally cut off from the world," said Shammaa, 45, who has been running the exchange shop since 2008. With the lifting of ...

Lebanon, the Doormat of Syria’s Sanctions Lift

Bashar al-Assad has been out of the picture for almost six months now. No one seems to miss him. The chapter is firmly closed. Enter Ahmad el-Chareh – once an Islamist, now a man of compromise – captured smiling alongside Donald Trump in Riyadh. Syria is reinventing itself, trying to appear more approachable. At least, that’s the ...

Arak, Wine, and Resilience: Syria’s Toast to the World

Syria, long recognized as the birthplace of distillation and fermentation, is a land where arak and wine embody the essence of the terroir, the resilience of its people, and the vibrancy of its local communities. The Alawite and Christian populations play a vital role in sustaining this heritage, actively shaping the production of both arak and ...

With Assad Down and Sanctions Lifted, Are Syrian Refugees Finally Being Pressed to Leave?

The startling decision by United States President Donald Trump to lift economic sanctions on Syria, coupled with the collapse of the Assad regime, could fundamentally reshape how the Syrian displaced population in Lebanon is managed – unless their permanent return to Syria remains excluded from the agreement being brokered among the key parties ...

Riyadh Without Beirut: Lebanon’s Omissive Absence From a Key Regional Summit

Riyadh, May 2025—In the heart of the Saudi desert, a private summit between US President Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Syrian President Ahmad el-Chareh reignited crucial conversations on the Middle East’s future. But one absence was consistently noted: that of Lebanon. While Lebanon’s persistent crises were ...

Sanctions Lifted on Syria: Damascus Faces Hope and Real Challenges

From Riyadh on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced—at the request of the Saudi crown prince—the full lifting, not just suspension, of economic and diplomatic sanctions on Syria. It was a crucial distinction, noted by many observers attending the US-Saudi Investment Forum, where every word of the American president’s remarks was ...

Secret Talks Between Israel and Syria via the UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has established a discreet channel to facilitate indirect discussions between Israel and Syria, aiming to manage the tense relationship between the two countries, according to Reuters. This initiative comes as Syria's new leadership seeks regional support to address escalating tensions with Israel. The previously ...

Syrian Leader to Meet Macron in First European Visit

The Syrian president, Ahmad al-Chareh, arrived in Paris this Wednesday and was received by French president Emmanuel Macron for a first and controversial visit to the West. On this occasion, he is expected to call on Macron to punish those responsible for the "abuses" that have tarnished the image of the Islamist coalition in power since ...