Digitization

The Jordanian-Syrian Investment Forum, which began today, in the capital, Damascus, stressed the necessity of building an economic alliance between the two brotherly countries, based on partnership between the public and private sectors, and common interests.

The forum, organized by the Jordanian Businessmen Association in cooperation with the Syrian Businessmen and Women’s Association, stressed the necessity of exploiting existing commercial and investment opportunities in the two countries and benefiting from the experiences of Jordanian investors and their success stories.

The Jordanian delegation participating in the forum includes the sectors of contracting, construction, transportation, logistics, education, energy, water, general trade, agriculture, tourism, travel, industry, financial and banking, information technology, and free, development, and industrial zones.

Syrian Finance Minister Muhammad Yusser Barneyah said that Syrian-Jordanian economic relations are witnessing a distinctive development today, which has begun to appear in the size of their trade exchanges and the depth of partnership relations between private sector institutions, which bear the responsibility of expanding them for the benefit of the two countries.

He added, while attending the forum activities in the capital, Damascus, that this path is in the interest of everyone, stressing that Syria believes that its stability and prosperity will reflect positively on its regional surroundings and neighboring countries.

Bernieh explained that the government looks with great optimism to the year 2026, based on realistic data, expecting the Syrian economy to achieve a double-digit growth rate that may reach more than 10 percent if the current positive conditions continue.

He stressed that the lifting of sanctions, which was announced last year, will enable Syria to reap tangible benefits during the current year, pointing to the return of a number of Syrian expatriates and the increased interest of investors and businessmen in investing in the Syrian market.

He said that the Syrian government is working to create an attractive investment environment through institutional and legislative reforms based on empowering the private sector and giving it a leading role in the economy, stressing that the state will not compete with the private sector, but rather will support it and provide it with appropriate conditions for growth.

The minister explained that his country’s government is working to reform the tax system, which he described as one of the most complex systems, by simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency, and developing tax administration in a way that achieves tax justice and supports the private sector, while maintaining the protection of people with limited income through effective social safety nets.

For his part, President of the Jordanian Businessmen Association, Ayman Alawneh, confirmed that the Jordanian business community is optimistic about the next Jordanian-Syrian economic stage, as it is necessary to translate it into real investments that benefit from the opportunities available in the two countries.

He said that Jordan views economic cooperation with Syria as a long-term strategic path, not only limited to trade exchange, but also extending to joint investment and building integrated development projects that reflect the depth of the historical relationship between the two countries.

He added that Jordan has important preferential advantages through free trade agreements with the European Union, the United States, Canada and Singapore, especially with regard to rules of origin and customs tariffs, which gives the Jordanian industry an additional competitive advantage that can be invested within the framework of the economic partnership with the Syrian side.

He stated that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries increased by 185 percent during the 11 months of last year 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, which is a clear indication of the return of economic momentum and the existence of real opportunities that can be built upon during the next stage.

He explained that talking about the reconstruction of Syria is not limited to a passing economic stage, but rather represents a comprehensive development path that requires benefiting from the expertise of Jordanian businessmen and building real partnerships based on integration and exchange of interests.

He stressed that building a sustainable Jordanian-Syrian economic partnership requires effective cooperation between the public and private sectors in the two countries and translating bilateral relations into projects and investments that reflect the depth of brotherly ties and serve common interests.

He pointed out that the participation of Syrian businessmen and women, many of whom base their businesses in Jordan in addition to their presence in their homeland, Syria, reflects the depth of the economic ties between the two countries.

He stressed that Jordanian-Syrian relations are today witnessing a positive phase based on cooperation and integration, with the support and guidance of the leadership of the two countries, in a way that serves the interests of the two brotherly peoples and enhances opportunities for stability, growth and prosperity in the region.

Alawneh pointed out that the forum reflects the importance of the current stage and the common will to advance Jordanian-Syrian economic relations to broader and more influential levels.

In turn, the Kingdom’s ambassador to Syria, Sufyan Al-Qudah, stressed that holding the forum constitutes a practical and pivotal step in the path of enhancing investment and intra-trade between the two countries, and a clear embodiment of the joint political will aimed at expanding economic cooperation on sustainable foundations.

The ambassador indicated that Jordan is keen to strengthen economic partnerships with sister Syria, and build strong cooperation in various fields, which enhances integration between the two countries.

He explained that official economic indicators indicate a tangible development in the volume of trade exchange between the two countries, which confirms that the economic relationship between the two countries is on a promising upward path.

Al-Qudah stressed that the high official Syrian presence in the forum reflects a common interest in developing economic relations and the seriousness of the private sector in expanding the horizons of cooperation and entering into real economic partnerships that serve the interests of the two brotherly countries.

For his part, the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdul Qader Al-Husariyya, stressed that economic relations between Syria and Jordan must go beyond the framework of traditional trade exchange to the level of an economic alliance between the two countries.

He pointed out that the investment opportunities in Syria are large and diverse, so the two countries’ trade relations require moving from the concept of intra-regional trade to long-term economic partnerships based on joint investment.

He stated that Syria is keen to return foreign banks to work inside the country, especially Jordanian ones, which currently operate through three banks, stressing, “We welcome Jordanian banks to benefit from their experience, reputation and expertise, and they have a real and great opportunity in the Syrian banking sector.”

He stressed that the Central Bank of Syria focused during the past months on achieving monetary stability, as a basic priority, noting that the exchange rate improved by between 25 and 30 percent following the measures taken, before it stabilized at more balanced levels, in parallel with recording low inflation rates.

He explained that the bank began developing new monetary policy tools, in preparation for moving to a more effective stage in managing liquidity and the money market, stressing that the presence of clear monetary tools constitutes an essential step in the path of financial reform.

Al-Hosariyya added that the next stage will witness a greater role for the financial and banking sector in leading the growth process, to be the main engine for supporting investment and moving the various productive sectors in the new Syria.

For his part, the head of the Syrian Businessmen and Women’s Association, Haitham Joud, considered that such meetings between two neighboring and brotherly countries should be repeated periodically, considering that the forum represents a “good start” towards a broader phase of organized and sustainable economic partnerships.

He pointed out that the Jordanian investor has important experiences and prominent success stories in several sectors, which makes him a qualified partner to enter the Syrian market strongly, pointing out that Syria today represents a broad investment environment with opportunities, and an “open market” full of promising fields.

He said: “It is important for the Jordanian investor to be at the forefront of investors present in Syria, given the experience, capital and regional experience he possesses, stressing that the priority in the end is related to the seriousness of the investor and his desire to have an actual presence within the Syrian market.”

Joud added that the joint opportunities between the two countries are large and diverse, and include the sectors of energy, information technology, phosphate, pharmaceutical industries, real estate development, and infrastructure, in which Jordan has many pioneering experiences and success stories.

Petra – Saif Al-Din Sawalha