Damascus: The Syrian government has approved a package of legal and customs facilitations aimed at boosting industrial investment and streamlining its procedures, as part of efforts to reposition the industrial sector and enhance its role in the coming phase.
According to Qatar News Agency, the new measures include updating investment regulations for industrial cities, expanding legal guarantees, and adopting more flexible mechanisms for dispute resolution, all aimed at strengthening investor confidence and improving the business climate. The proposed steps also include financial and customs incentives to support local production, facilitate ownership of industrial plots, and introduce modern investment models, alongside developing infrastructure and digital services. These measures are part of a broader strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the national industry and attract new investments that contribute to job creation and economic growth.
In this regard, Director General of Industrial Cities at the Syrian Ministry of Economy and Industry Muayyad Al-Banna said that the government has approved a package of legal and customs facilitations to encourage industrial investment and simplify procedures, unveiling new measures to create a qualitative shift in the industrial investment environment. These measures, he said, focus on simplifying procedures, strengthening legal guarantees, and providing financial and customs incentives to reposition Syria on the regional industrial investment map.
Al-Banna told QNA that the Ministry of Economy and Industry issued an investment system for industrial cities under Decision No. 432, comprising 26 articles aimed at facilitating the investment process and enhancing trust in the legal environment. Key provisions include adopting arbitration as a mechanism for resolving disputes between investors and the state, allowing investors to choose either local or international arbitrators, which reduces litigation time and provides additional guarantees, he added.
The new system allows investors to acquire industrial plots in installments over five years at regionally competitive prices, around $30 per square meter in Hassia Industrial City, and $35 in each of Sheikh Najjar Industrial City in Aleppo and Adra Industrial City in Damascus countryside. It also introduces modern investment models, such as public-private partnerships and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) schemes, and implements a "one-stop shop" principle to streamline investment procedures.
Customs policies have been restructured to support local production by exempting imported production lines from customs duties entirely, reducing tariffs on certain raw materials to very low levels (sometimes zero), while imposing fees on some semi-finished products and limiting imports of some final goods to encourage domestic manufacturing, he said.
Al-Banna noted that Syrian industrial cities follow the industrial cluster principle, which allows main and complementary industries to operate within the same geographic area, achieving production integration and cost reduction, alongside the development of digital platforms enabling investors to select plots and track their procedures online.
Al-Banna underlined that authorities have studied advanced international experiences in industrial city management, including the one in the State of Qatar, and plans are underway for a visit to the Mesaieed Industrial City to explore management mechanisms and potential cooperation with Qatari authorities.
He said that currently, Syrian industrial cities host about 11,000 investors, including around 294 foreign investors, with expectations to increase this number in the coming period amid growing interest from Arab and international investors. Recently, approval was granted to establish three new industrial cities in Idlib, Hama, and Daraa, in addition to two more in the Idlib countryside and northern Aleppo countryside, bringing the total to nine industrial cities by the end of 2026, alongside infrastructure development in existing cities, he said.
For his part, Chairman of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry Dr. Mazen Dirwan said that the reforms in industrial cities are part of a comprehensive economic transformation toward a free-market economy, representing a radical shift in Syria's economic structure. He told QNA that any step to facilitate the business environment, reduce bureaucratic constraints, and improve access to energy and ports would have a significant positive impact on the expansion and global reach of Syrian industry.
Dirwan emphasized that industrial cities provide an integrated environment for investors, including essential services such as energy, infrastructure, and industrial sewage, making them more capable of attracting new investments, creating jobs, reducing unemployment, boosting exports, and achieving economic growth. He also noted that Syria's new investment policies are highly flexible, allowing non-Syrian investors full ownership of their projects and the ability to transfer a significant portion of profits, making the Syrian investment environment more attractive compared to many other countries.
The Ministry of Economy and Industry is working to simplify industrial licensing procedures, with hopes to achieve higher procedural flexibility to facilitate the launch of new industrial projects. Dr. Dirwan stressed that Syria's low labor costs present a significant opportunity for investors, given the experience and skills of Syrian workers, making industrial investment in Syria more competitive internationally.
Textile and food industries are considered key pillars of Syrian industry due to local availability of raw materials and accumulated expertise, enhancing opportunities for their development and increasing their contribution to the national economy, he said. New investment and tax laws are now more investor-friendly, offering substantial opportunities to benefit from reconstruction and economic growth. Finally, he emphasized that Syria's security and political stability are gradually improving and encouraged investors to visit the country to explore available opportunities firsthand.