Blom Bank has said that it would not return to Syria unless western sanctions are lifted, the most explicit statement yet on the reluctance of Lebanese banks to operate in the Syrian market.

Several Syrian banks have reopened a branch in the southern city of Daraa as they start a slow expansion of their network.

The relatively stable situation in most of Syria has reflected positively on the performance of Syrian banks, which have broadly reported an improvement in their financial results last year.

In a month marked by the listing of Syriatel, almost all stocks that were traded in relatively important volumes in the Damascus Securities Exchange fell.

Fransabank Syria has announced the resignation of its Lebanese chairman, confirming the dissociation policy adopted by Lebanese banks operating in the country.

Providing guarantees for loans to SMEs and microfinance projects

Syrian private sector banks continued to post a modest increase in their main indicators in the first half of this year, as Islamic lenders now represent almost 40 percent of the sector.

This list of tables provides data on the main indicators of Syrian private sector banks as of June 30, 2018.

The assets, credits and deposits at the 14 private sector banks in Syria. 

The operating income and profits of Syria's 14 private sector banks in 2017. All numbers are in million Syrian pounds.

The balance sheets and income statements of Syrian banks show an improvement in their performance last year.

Byblos Bank Syria has announced the appointment of a new general manager.

The main index of the Syrian stock exchange reached a new high for the year as it continued to rise in November, albeit at a slower pace than in the previous month.

Lebanon’s BLOM Bank has withdrawn its last representative in the board of its Syrian affiliate, further confirming the relative disengagement of Lebanese banks from the Syrian market.

The relative stable situation in vast parts of western Syria have enabled private commercial banks in the first half of this year to post a slight improvement in their main indicators.

This list of tables provides data on the main indicators of Syrian private sector banks as of June 30, 2017.

Lebanon’s BLOM has said that it deconsolidated its Syrian operations in order to protect itself from international sanctions.

Updated on July 21, 2017: Syria’s private commercial banks, which saw last year their assets fall to a fraction of what they were in 2010 and now barely breakeven, are unable to finance any meaningful reconstruction drive.

Following in the steps of two of its competitors, BLOM Bank, Lebanon’s second largest bank by the size of its assets, has deconsolidated its operations in Syria.

In dollar terms, the assets of Syria’s private sector banks declined by 25 percent on annual basis last year.

The assets of Syria’s private commercial banks increased 17 percent in the first half of this year in Syrian Pound terms.

The annual shareholders meetings of Syria’s commercial banks have seen some changes in their management and boards.

A large transaction on shares of Bank Audi Syria has helped lift the overall value of trading in the Syrian bourse.

Syria’s stock market index was unchanged last week, while trading values remained low.

The value of the trading in the Syrian bourse last week was a paltry USD 35,000.

Syria’s 14 private sector have released their preliminary results for last year, although changes in currency prices make it difficult to assess the health of the sector.

Syria’s stock market index lost almost one percent last week falling under the 1,240 mark for the first time since April of last year.

Only seven stocks were traded last week in the Damascus Securities Exchange, less than a third of total listed stocks.

The value of trading in the Syrian bourse reached a mere SYP 9.9 million this week.

The index of the Damascus Securities Exchange gained last week as the value of trading remained mostly unchanged compared to the previous week.

The Syrian bourse saw last week the beginning of trading on Al-Baraka Bank Syria, the latest stock to be listed in the exchange.

Around half of Syria’s listed stocks were traded last week although few transactions involved meaningful amounts.

Trading in the Damascus Securities Exchange remained dull last week with volumes at only a few thousand dollars in one of the sessions.

Bank of Syria and Overseas has announced the appointment of a new general manager.

Following other banks, IBTF provided last week an assessment of the losses incurred in its Homs branch, located in the area previously under the control of the opposition.

After Byblos Bank last week, Bank of Syria and Overseas reported this week the value of the losses of its Homs branch.

The level of trading in the Damascus Securities Exchange last week surged helped by two large transactions.

Byblos Bank Sal, the Lebanese mother company of Byblos Bank Syria, is increasing its stake in its Syrian affiliate.

The assets and profits of private sector banks in Syria increased last year in Syrian Pound terms, according to preliminary filings.

Syria’s stock market index closed the year largely unchanged as official holidays reduced trading activity.

Half of Syria’s stocks were traded in the Damascus Securities Exchange last week with the index mostly unchanged.

The balance sheet of Syria’s private sector banks increased 45 percent in the first nine months of 2013 compared to the same period of last year, although the rise was overwhelmingly a result of unrealized net foreign exchange gains.

Bank of Syria and Overseas has announced the election of Ihsan Baalbaki as vice-chairman of the board.

Bank of Syria and Overseas elected a new director to its board.

The performance of Syria’s banking sector in the first half of this year continued to be affected by the deteriorating economic conditions and the decline in the value of the Syrian Pound.

Financial data published by two private sector banks confirm the growth of bad debt provisions across the sector.

Syria’s main stock index crossed the 1,200 mark last week after gaining in three consecutive sessions.

Syrian stocks fell in all of last week's sessions ending a month and a half of weekly gains.

The value of trading at the Damascus Securities Exchange crossed the SYP 100 million mark last week for the first time in months.

Syria’s stock market index increased sharply this week to rise above the 800 mark for the first time since last November.