Syrian President, during Participation in the Future Investment Initiative, Commends Saudi Arabia’s Role in Stimulating Region’s Economy
Riyadh, October 30, 2025, SPA -- Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa underscored Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the region as he spoke during a panel session at the ninth annual Future Investment Initiative (FII9), held in Riyadh.
Al-Sharaa stated Saudi Arabia has become an economic compass for investors thanks to its vision, driven by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The Syrian president stated that one of the most pressing challenges facing the region today is the slowdown in economic growth. He stressed that economic stability is inherently linked to regional and strategic security, stating that Syria represents a key pillar of regional stability.
“We recognize the pivotal role that the Kingdom plays in the region,” Al-Sharaa said. “Economic development is closely linked to security and stability, which the Kingdom exemplifies as a leading model in the region.”
He also spoke about the turmoil Syria has experienced in recent years, when it became a source of crises, irregular migration, and narcotics, as well as a foothold for destabilizing regional agendas. He affirmed that Syria’s strategic location has historically made it the gateway to the east and a key route along the Silk Road, endowed with human resources and a diverse economy that have long drawn the attention of major powers throughout history.
Al-Sharaa affirmed that Syria has turned a new page and opened to the world over the past ten months, regaining its regional position with the support of friendly nations, foremost among them Saudi Arabia under the leadership of HRH the Crown Prince. He added that Syria can help strengthen the security and stability of global supply chains, serving an important trade corridor between east and west. He underscored the challenges in energy supply chains facing the world, particularly in Europe, while Syria holds significant potential in this regard.
The Syrian president noted that during the first six months of 2025, Syria witnessed an inflow of investments totaling about US$28 billion, affirming that the revival of investments on such a scale reflects the Syrian economy’s capacity for recovery.
He added that countries emerging from wars and crises are not always granted rapid opportunities for revival. However, Syria has been able to benefit from its experiences as well as regional developments to become an attractive destination for rich investment opportunities recognized by economists worldwide.
Extensive work is underway in Syria and investments are growing at a positive pace, Al-Sharaa emphasized. He noted that every calamity the country has faced over the past 14 years now represents an investment opportunity for reconstruction and development. The president asserted that the former regime discouraged foreign investments and competed with local ones, whereas Syria’s investment laws have now been amended to favor investors, granting them the right to transfer their profits and a large portion of their capital abroad. The law -- examined by major global firms, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment, and top international economists – was ranked among the world’s top ten investment frameworks, he said, calling the reform a great responsibility and a national duty.
Al-Sharaa highlighted Syria’s diverse investment opportunities, particularly in real estate, one of the most promising sectors. He said reconstruction through investment offers an ideal model combining economic benefit with infrastructure rebuilding and ensures shared prosperity for all stakeholders.
Regarding tourism, the president described Syria as a distinguished tourist destination due to its diverse assets, including ancient heritage sites, varied climates, and natural landscapes encompassing deserts, mountains, and coasts.
He added that Syria is also an agricultural country with large productive capacities exceeding its needs, capable of feeding between 250 and 300 million people, despite its population not exceeding 25 million.
On energy, Al-Sharaa noted that while Syria is not an oil-producing nation in the conventional sense, its oil production has reached around 1 million barrels per day, and natural-gas production about 40 million cubic meters per day, several times higher than the country’s current needs. Moreover, the country possesses substantial offshore and desert gas reserves, as well as developed logistics services and trade routes, including land, maritime, and regional connections, making it a haven amid instability affecting some key passages and strategic straits in the region.
Syrian airspace also presents a significant investment opportunity, Al-Sharaa said, adding that every aircraft that avoids his country’s airspace must cover a longer distance, adding about three-quarters of an hour to flight time and consuming around 2,000 pounds of fuel, affecting operational efficiency and engine lifespan. He said Syria today represents a historic opportunity for investors, with active movement and competition among some parties, while others remain watchful, affirming that the investment opportunities in Syria are vast and open to all.
Some major Saudi companies have already begun investing in Syria with a total value of about $7 billion, alongside major Qatari investments in Damascus International Airport and energy production projects with a capacity of 5,000 megawatts, Al-Sharaa said.
He noted that numerous subsidiary investments are also underway, asserting that Syria has witnessed little construction development over the past 40 years, creating strong demand in the real-estate market, where prices now rival those of Tokyo due to high demand and limited supply.
The president stated that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates hold substantial investments in Syria, while Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan are engaged in discussions to follow suit. Türkiye, he said, has also shown an interest in investment through joint projects, and some American companies have entered partnerships with firms already investing in Damascus International Airport. He added that Aleppo International Airport is expected to begin investment operations soon and highlighted several other regional partnerships.
Al-Sharaa said he has long been following the vision of Saudi Arabia, which he emphasized as a nation moving toward prosperity, stability, and broad-based development, describing its experience as unique.
“For a long time, I have been following the vision put forward by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and I have seen that it does not stop at the borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; it is a vision that encompasses the entire region,” he said.
“As soon as we returned to Damascus, we hastened to be part of this new order and the advantages it brings, given Syria’s geographic location and human resources. The great potential, when combined with this vision, creates a type of complementarity. Today, Syria enjoys ideal relations with the Kingdom, as well as with Türkiye, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates,” the president said.
He emphasized that “the ongoing integration will, in the long term, create a comprehensive economic cycle among these key nations.”
“Together, we possess some of the world’s most strategic locations, overlooking vital waterways, and we are endowed with human resources, a well-known civilizational and historical heritage, a central geographic position, and abundant natural wealth both beneath and above the ground," the president said.
Al-Sharaa discussed the suffering endured by the Syrian people over the past years. “My people have suffered immense hardship, killed thousands of times over the past 14 years. The war has knocked on every door in Syria," he said. “This people, who endured and held firmly to their principles, eventually triumphed. Just as they were able to prevail out of nothing, they are worthy of rebuilding Syria from nothing as well.”
Al-Sharaa stated that aid does not build nations, but fosters dependency. “When we were confined to a small area, while under siege in Idlib, I did not rely at all on aid. By the grace of Allah and with the efforts of the team around, we managed to build a modest but beneficial economic environment. Working there was more difficult than it is in Syria today, as resources were unavailable, yet we succeeded in creating economic resources, strengthening ourselves, and rebuilding from within,” he said.
This approach, he said, fosters a new culture among the people and instills renewed vitality for nation-building. He highlighted Syria’s highly skilled human resources educated in top global universities, in addition to strong industrial and agricultural sectors and diverse economic capabilities.
“All these human resources are capable of building a developmental economy that is sustainable and enduring,” he noted, adding that human capital is among the most important assets in any economic structure.
Al-Sharaa spotlighted Syria’s efforts to safeguard investors and promote domestic industries, stating that “protecting investors takes many forms, including safeguarding their investments.”
He added that Syria’s policy focuses on supporting local production by imposing higher tariffs or, in some cases, restricting imports of similar goods, especially agricultural products.
The president underscored “a philosophical debate in economics between free-market and protectionist policies. At this stage, Syria cannot fully open its markets, as its production is still limited. Doing so would flood the country with imports at the expense of local output.”
Syria protects investors by protecting local production in the first stage, Al-Sharaa said, spotlighting laws that support investors by protecting their capital. He added that the country’s investment law also recognizes international courts and third-party arbitration, providing a legal framework and protection for investments and investors.
-- SPA
