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June 2025
Powering the Recovery: the Electricity Sector at a Crossroads
Syria’s power grid remains on life support, but foreign investments offer hope. A close look at fuel supply, output, and costs helps clarify the significance of recent announcements.
June 2025
Cutting Zeros, Restoring Trust: The Redenomination Debate
Amid a liquidity crunch and monetary uncertainty, redenomination emerges as a potential technical fix and a symbolic reset, but is the timing right?
June 2025
Why the EU Should Grant Syria Tariff-Free Access
Granting Syria temporary tariff-free access helps shift its recovery from humanitarian aid to partnership. What can we learn from Ukraine’s case?
June 2025
Taxes in Syria, Episode Three: The Unseen Burden of Indirect Taxation
Syria’s reliance on indirect taxes and fees burdens lower-income households disproportionately. A modern, fairer tax regime—featuring VAT and excise reform—is long overdue.
June 2025
External Contribution: Gönül Tol, Director of the Middle East Institute’s Türkiye Program
From reconstruction contracts to refugee returns, Türkiye is racing to shape Syria’s future—and Erdoğan’s own political survival may depend on it. Gönül Tol examines Türkiye’s ambitions, rivals, and red lines in the wake of Assad’s collapse.
June 2025
Interview: Andrea Quaden, Executive Director, Aid Fund for Syria
The Aid Fund for Syria expanded from the northwest to formerly regime-held areas after Assad’s fall, aiming to localize aid in support of early recovery. Emphasizing its apolitical approach, it faces funding cuts and sanctions hurdles.
May 2025
Ringing the Alarm Bells: Syria May Be Facing Its Worst Drought in Decades
Rainfall in the first quarter of 2025 was the lowest since 1997, signaling a potential catastrophic drought. The implications for food security, livelihoods, and cholera outbreaks are dire, especially amid declining foreign aid.
May 2025
Signs of Shifting Compositions in Company Registrations
Since the fall of Assad, Syria has registered 97 new companies, primarily small LLCs in non-productive sectors like trade. Foreign participation is increasing, with notable changes in nationality composition.
May 2025
Taxes in Syria, Episode Two: Achieving Social Equity through Direct Taxation
Direct taxes have declined sharply as Syria’s tax base eroded, while regressive fees surged, burdening the poor. Reform is urgent to create a fairer system, broaden revenue, and restore legitimacy in the post-Assad era.
May 2025
Trapped Funds: The Fate of Syrian Deposits in Lebanese Banks
Billions in Syrian assets remain stuck in Lebanon’s collapsed banking system, depriving Syria of crucial reconstruction funds, with no path to recovery in sight.
May 2025
External Contribution: Aaron Zelin, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The Islamic State and al-Qaeda remain weakened but not eliminated; Damascus has thwarted several attacks since Assad’s fall. The government’s performance in counterterrorism will shape international engagement and Syria’s security trajectory.
May 2025
Interview: Karam Bechara, General Manager at Shahba Bank (former Byblos Bank Syria)
Syria’s banks are compliant and ready to reconnect internationally, but recovery hinges on lifting sanctions, Central Bank independence, and rebuilding trust with local and foreign stakeholders.
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