“Today, we are present as a free government that loves the people, is from the people, and is for the people. This participation is historic.”
~ Hind Kabawat, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor
News Highlights
News about Syria from Around the World
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Foreign Minister al-Sheibani speaking to leaders of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, 9 February 2026, in Riyadh. (L24:X)Syria assumes leadership position in global war on terror
10 February 2026. After rejoining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS last year, Syria is now taking a leadership role. Minister al-Sheibani affirmed the widespread view that Syria’s stability is vital to the entire Middle East, and thanked coalition members for helping eradicate ISIS from Syrian territory.
Read more at: SYRIAN OBSERVER
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Left: Rubble surrounds Aleppo Citadel, a landmark in a major city scarred by war. (Mahmoud Hassano:Reuters) Right: Businesses in Aleppo rebuild from scrap. (Al Jazeera)“I was happy… truly happy to be in Aleppo, not as a guest, but as someone who is home.”
10 February 2026. After living in exile for a decade, Alhakam Shaar returned briefly to Aleppo filled with joy, working in sub-zero temperatures to restore his family’s home. Thousands returning to rebuild homes and businesses face severe infrastructure damages, which the government has begun to repair.
Read more at: AL JAZEERA
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Energy Minister announces Syria’s partnership with Saudi firms to launch a large scale seawater desalination and transport project. (L24)Syria adopts desalination to combat drought and secure steady source of water
9 February 2026. Syria signed an agreement with a consortium of Saudi companies to desalinate seawater and transport it to southern regions hit by severe drought, guaranteeing a steady water supply for drinking and agriculture. Energy Minister Muhammad al-Bashir called it “the largest water agreement in the world.”
Read more at: LEVANT24
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“Ishraqat” (Radiance) Cultural and Arts Festival opens at Damascus Opera House. (SANA)Arts and culture festival opens under theme: “Guided by light, united by culture”
9 February 2026. The “Ishraqat” (Radiance) Festival brings together artists and audiences in a program of art exhibitions, performances, and seminars, supporting the recovery of Syria’s richly diverse heritage and fostering shared national identity. The program was sponsored by government ministries in coordination with UNDP and with funding from Japan.
Read more at: SANA
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Social Affairs and Labor Minister, Hind Kabawat (second from right), meets with humanitarian organizations in Idleb to review the impact of recent floods. (SANA)Minister Kabawat calls for tightened cooperation among aid agencies to support flood-affected families
9 February 2026. During a visit to camps in western Idleb, where displaced families living in tents were forced by severe floods to evacuate, the Social Affairs minister met with humanitarian aid partners to assess the flood damage and request stronger coordination to ensure faster, more effective support.
Read more at: SANA
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Bana Omar Abdullah introduces her book, “I Am Syrian,” at the Damascus Book Fair, February 8, 2026Eleven-year-old author publishes loving portrait of her country’s heritage: “I Am Syrian”
8 February 2026. Bana Omar Abdullah authored a heartfelt tribute to Syria’s heritage, combining photographs and text. “My book is a tourism guide and a message of love for Syria,” she said. “I wanted to show its landmarks and tell its story through images that speak to the heart.”
Read more at: SANA
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Minister Hind Kabawat and Syrian born philanthropist Wafic Rida Saïd sign a partnership agreement to advance inclusive leadership. (SANA)New leadership program will train officials to include disabled people in public and private arenas
7 February 2026. The Social Affairs and Labor Ministry and the Saïd Foundation for Development have launched a training program aimed at improving the capacity of public and private institutions to serve people with disabilities. Fifty percent of the trainees will be disabled people.
Read more at: SANA
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Syria and Saudi Arabia sign major economic agreements to rebuild Syria’s infrastructure and expand regional connectedness. (SANA)Saudi Arabia to invest $ billions in strategic deals for Syria’s recovery
7 February 2026. Syria and Saudi Arabia signed major joint economic agreements in air transport, water desalination, and telecommunications, in addition to 45 other development projects. The agreements aim to rebuild Syria’s infrastructure, expand air travel, and strengthen regional cooperation.
Read more at: LEVANT24
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Audience members and media officials gather in Damascus as Information Minister, Dr. Hamza al-Mustafa, announces the relaunch of Damascus Radio. (SANA)Damascus Radio is relaunched, connecting Syrian communities at home and abroad as part of national media revival
5 February 2026. Damascus Radio, marginalized under the old regime, has been revitalized with technical capacities that combine conventional broadcasting with online streaming, mobile applications and podcasts. It will enable interactive programming and allow Syrians worldwide to connect in real time.
Read more at: SANA
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Syria signs a major agreement with Chevron and Qatar’s Power International to explore new oil and gas fields. (Syrian Observer)Syria’s energy sector reaches turning point with new offshore explorations
5 February 2026. The state-owned Syrian Petroleum Company signed a landmark agreement with US and Qatari companies to begin oil and gas explorations aimed at boosting energy investment, supporting development, and expanding partnerships. US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, called the agreement “a transformative step that draws a new picture for Syria after years of suffering.”
Read more at: SYRIAN OBSERVER
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Visitors swarm the Damascus International Book Fair, reflecting Syria’s cultural resurgence. (L24)Damascus International Book fair revives intellectual life and world of culture
5 February 2026. In his opening address to government ministers, prominent Syrian writers and intellectuals, and Arab political and intellectual figures, President al-Sharaa observed that humanity has long strived for truth, knowledge and the secrets of the world. The international cultural event offered knowledge on innumerable topics, including once-secret knowledge about Syria.
Read more at: SANA
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Syrian-American cantor, Henry Hamra, at the Central Synagogue of Aleppo, December 2025. (Jane Arraf:NPR)Syrian government restores Aleppo’s ancient Jewish sites to group led by Syrian-American Jews
3 February 2026. The Syrian government transferred control of religious sites in Aleppo, once a thriving center of Jewish life, to the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation. The group is “committed to helping build a pluralistic, prosperous and democratic Syria.” Henry Hamra, one of the founders, observed: “Syrian people are very loving people and they’re very welcoming.”
Read more at: NPR.ORG
Read more News Highlights
Perspectives
Essays Reflecting on the New Syria
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The Miracle of Syria
There is no rational explanation for what has occurred. A despotic regime backed by a military superpower was deposed in a bloodless coup by a band of revolutionaries in eleven days. The coup was orchestrated by a militia leader who seamlessly assumed the role of head of state, rapidly gaining respect at home and abroad. A despondent people, living in fear and despair for many decades, experienced the ecstatic joy of liberation, unleashing a flood of creative energy for rebuilding homes, schools and hospitals, drawing millions of Syrians to return from exile. A country in ruins quickly became a vast…
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Damascus in Islamic Prophecy
In these turbulent times, as the world appears to slip further into chaos, people are turning to end-times prophecies for guidance or for comfort. Such prophecies exist in several major world religions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the three Abrahamic religions—and some lesser-known ones such as Zoroastrianism. All of these ancient revelations predict the appearance of a messianic figure who will raise humanity from the depths of darkness and inaugurate a new era of light.
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A Catalyst for Middle East Unity and Stability
The Middle East stands at a potential turning point with the emergence of a new government in Syria. After nearly fourteen years of devastating civil war, foreign incursions, and humanitarian crises, the rise of new Syrian leadership offers an extremely rare opportunity for regional recalibration.
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From out of the Rubble, Life and Hope
The White Helmets lived the meaning of sacrifice—leaving their own families to save others under fire. “It’s hard to be away from your family,” one volunteer said, “but life requires sacrifice.” In a global culture that is shaped by the desire for personal comfort and that exhibits indifference to the suffering of others, their courage stands as a quiet challenge.
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Healing From Syria’s Past
Those who liberated Syria from dictatorship face the daunting task of uniting groups that have seen each other as enemies for generations. Ancient resentments and the desire for revenge cannot be erased overnight. The new government is seeking to establish trust in a land and region of the world where there has been little trust in those who ruled, where brutal leaders were frequently replaced by violent coups, and where dynasties held onto power through harsh and often cruel mechanisms of control.
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The Power of Understanding
The word ‘understand’ carries several meanings, but one of the most significant ones is the ability to show a sympathetic or tolerant attitude toward others. Achieving this kind of understanding is a result of our collective evolution—an expression of the wisdom born from the union of heart and mind.
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The Legacy of Ancient Syria
To understand any nation, especially one whose origins date back many thousands of years, we need to know something about the forces that shaped it. A positive outcome of the long history of trade, turmoil, and constant population shifts is that ancient Aram/Syria became a true melting pot, laying the foundations for a pluralistic civilization. Syria is one of the most multicultural nations in the Middle East, if not the world.
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Terrorists or Heroes?
Can a person who committed acts of terrorism become a national leader and a warrior for peace and unity? To most people this would seem like an unresolvable paradox, a virtual impossibility. Yet world history provides numerous examples of individuals who have used violence in struggles for just causes and who later became admired political figures, leading nations and fighting for the welfare of their people.
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The Appearance of Miracles
In less than six months, a nation that was on the brink of failure has been revived and is undergoing a transformation, an unfathomable occurrence in the normal course of events. Signs point to the presence of a new generation of leaders, whose sole motive is to serve their people and bring peace to a region embroiled in conflict over centuries.
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Rebuilding Syria
For peacefully protesting against the dictatorship, the Syrian people lived in terror of endless war and repression… and its population became increasingly impoverished, with large sections of cities destroyed and lying in ruins… The new leaders quickly began to establish the rule of law and an environment of freedom for all Syrian peoples… demonstrating a strong will to reconstruct the nation as a democratic state that respects human rights, seeks unity among the diversity of peoples, and is committed to the common good.
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Breaking the Endless Cycle of War
Humanity stands at a crossroads. We have the power to reject our inheritance of mutual destruction and build, instead, a future based on mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation. This possibility rests on potentials of our species that have been largely untapped until now: an active willingness to listen, a capacity for forgiveness, the aspiration to reach across human divides, and the awareness that no group or nation thrives when others suffer… In the case of Syria, the new leadership has held up these qualities as paramount for the rebirth of the country.