Syria reactivates key industrial facilities as economic rebuilding efforts intensify

Shafaq News/
The Syrian Ministry of Economy and Industry is moving forward with plans to
rehabilitate and restart critical industrial plants, Hasan Al-Ahmad, Director
of the Media Office at the Ministry, told Shafaq News.

Al-Ahmad
revealed that several major facilities have recently resumed operations,
including the Hama Iron Plant and the Damascus Cables Factory, along with other
strategic assets.

“These
facilities are currently undergoing technical evaluations to assess their
readiness for flexible and efficient investment models,” he said, adding that
the goal is to maximize operational efficiency and ensure these assets
contribute effectively to economic recovery.

Supporting
the national production, Al-Ahmad stressed, remains a cornerstone of Syria’s
industrial strategy. “We want Syrian-made products to compete confidently in
both domestic and international markets.”

Regarding
the Ministry’s primary focus for the coming phase, it is “to elevate the
standards of the national industry, positioning it as a benchmark for quality
and export potential.” This, he said, would help stimulate economic growth,
create job opportunities, and strengthen public trust in local manufacturing.

Syria’s
economy has been in a state of collapse since the outbreak of mass protests and
civil conflict in 2011. A recent joint report by the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and UNCTAD, published on January
25, 2025, and titled “Syria at a Crossroads: Toward a Stable Transition Phase,”
highlighted the challenges facing the Syrian economy and outlined scenarios for
its potential recovery.

According to
the report, a recovery scenario assumes successful reconstruction efforts,
governance reforms, and sufficient international aid, particularly in the
fields of agriculture, industry, and energy.

Under this
model, Syria could regain up to 80% of its pre-war GDP by 2030, provided the
country maintains an average annual growth rate of 13% over the 2024–2030
period. Even in this best-case scenario, per capita income would still reach
only half of its 2010 level.