Government forces, including some affiliated with Iran, have taken positions in civilian houses in the Yarmouk Basin area, preventing some residents from returning to their villages years after Islamic State-aligned fighters were defeated. The area is in the western countryside of the Daraa governorate and is of strategic importance because it is located along the Israeli border.

Rifaat Al-Assad, the uncle of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, has been sentenced to four years in prison by a French court for money laundering.

The Syrian Ministry of Defence has laid claim to 12.5 hectares of land in the Moadamiyeh suburb of Damascus for the purpose of constructing residential buildings and a sports facility, a former official from the town’s municipality told The Syria Report.

Updated on June 18, 2020: The entry into force today of the Caesar Act expands sanctions on Syria and will increase challenges for the regime and the economy alike. The U.S. administration has also expanded its list of Syrians under sanctions.

On June 11, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad appointed Hussein Arnous as prime minister after dismissing Imad Khamis, who paid the price for recent socio-economic difficulties.

The following is a press statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on June 17, 2020, on the occasion of the first designations following the entry into force of the Caesar Act.

The Syrian currency collapsed last week, crossing both the 2,000 and 3,000 pound-per-dollar thresholds within a few days and creating panic in the market. The consequences on living conditions in Syria will be dramatic.

This article is an updated and expanded factsheet on the economic and business relations between Syria and Iran as of June 2020.

An 80-km section of the M4 highway was reopened on May 25 between the towns of Tal Tamer and Ayn Issa, enabling a resumption of passenger and cargo traffic.

The Syrian president has named five new governors, including four in strategically sensitive regions.

A week after the government lifted most movement restrictions, the number of people who tested positive for the Coronavirus increased to 123 from 121, the number of recoveries increased to 50 from 41 and the number of deaths grew to six from four.

A selection of reports, papers and articles on Syria.

A legislative decree has lifted tariff barriers on a range of industrial inputs in a bid to encourage local production.

A selection of reports, papers and articles on Syria.

The rise of Rami Makhlouf as Syria’s most prominent businessman coincided with the ascent to power of Bashar Al-Assad in 2000. Given his long history of influence within the ruling elite, Mr Makhlouf’s recent side-lining raises many questions about the potential implications of his fall from grace.

Two extraordinary videos posted by Rami Makhlouf on his personal Facebook page have laid bare the divisions at the heart of the Syrian regime and posed a challenge for Bashar Al-Assad within the Alawite community. The Syrian president has been forced into a quick public defence of one of his most contested measures.

On March 04, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad headed for the first time a meeting of the task force formed to confront the Coronavirus.

The past few weeks have seen renewed challenges on Rami Makhlouf’s position within the Syrian regime: a shipment from one of his companies was seized in Egypt because it contained drugs; his personal assets and those of one his companies were frozen; and the government is claiming at least one hundred billion pounds from Syriatel.

A selection of reports, papers and articles on Syria.

This article is an updated and expanded factsheet on the economic and business relations between Syria and Russia as of April 2020.

A series of articles published in Russian media criticising Bashar Al-Assad has raised speculation about the state of relations between Moscow and Damascus. For now, a desire to advance Russia’s economic interests in Syria seems to be the main driver of the campaign.

A selection of reports, papers and articles on Syria.

In this 4,400-word factsheet, we provide a profile of the main businesses and economic institutions affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defence.

A selection of reports, papers and articles on Syria.

On March 30, the Ministry of Health announced the death of a second person from the Coronavirus, out of a total of ten positive cases, while the government added new measures to limit the spread of the virus.

Several influential Syrian businessmen have started using the Coronavirus crisis as a way to improve their image among the Syrian population.

The Syrian government has started imposing the first restrictive measures on public life as the potential spread of the Coronavirus threatens to have a devastating effect on the population and the economy.

A strange statement by the Syrian Presidency has highlighted potential tensions within the regime’s highest circles.

The Ministry of Transport has eased licensing conditions for airlines, paving the way for more investors to get involved in the sector.

Despite the announcement last week of the reopening of Aleppo International Airport, no commercial flight has yet been recorded at the airport.

The list below includes the names of all the individuals that have been blacklisted by the European Union since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in March 2011.

The European Union sanctioned on February 17 several Syrian companies and individuals, including business figures from before the uprising or who emerged during the conflict and are active in sectors such as real estate and oil trading.

In a very rare statement denouncing the recent legal proceedings against him, Rami Makhlouf has provided several interesting insights into his personal situation, indicating that he intends to remain active in the business scene.

Khodr Ali Taher has taken over Syria’s largest billboard advertising network, confirming his rise in the business community.

In this 2,700-word factsheet we provide a profile of Damascus Cham Holding, one of the largest Syrian companies that is at the heart of the controversial Marota project.

A selection of reports, papers and articles on Syria.

Syrian authorities have announced new penalties for dealing in foreign currencies and closed more than a dozen foreign exchange companies, but also offered a more attractive rate to buy dollars. However, these moves have little chance of stopping the freefall of the Syrian pound.

The Real Estate Bank has announced that it generated profits in 2019 for the second year in a row, after years of losses.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly issued laws ratifying three contracts granting the Katerji brothers a strategic role in Syria’s oil distribution sector.

The government has frozen the assets of Rami Makhlouf, a step that appears to follow previous restrictions on the once-powerful businessman, but which could still be reversed.

The full transcript of the interview of Bashar Al-Assad by Italian TV channel Rai News 24 on December 09, 2019.

The transcript is by state news agency, SANA.

In this factsheet, we look at Syria’s economic relations with the United Arab Emirates.

For the second time in less than two months, the Syrian government has acted against Tarif Al-Akhras, one of the country’s most powerful businessmen, although his success in reversing some earlier decisions points to his continued influence.