“Politics is not about running away from one problem and entering into another problem. Politics is about looking for strategic solutions and building trust between you and those in your surroundings, both internal and external. That requires being clear and honest with all parties.”
~ Ahmad al-Sharaa, President of Syria, 22 June 2026
click image for more
News Highlights
Current News about Syria
-
Qatar’s Minister of State, Dr. Mohammed al-Khulaifi (L), and Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Asaad al-Shaibani (R), Damascus, 11 July 2026. (SANA)Expanding partnership between Syria and Qatar will improve regional security
11 July 2026. Minister al-Shaibani described Syria’s relationship with Qatar as a partnership based on trust and mutual respect that will foster regional stability. They discussed ways to enhance collaboration across various sectors and signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of diplomacy.
Read more at: SANA
-
First International Islamic Forum titled “Islamic Civilization- The Path of Peace, Tolerance and Enlightenment” in Tashkent, 10 July 2026. (SANA)Syrian minister calls for promoting peace, tolerance and moderation at Islamic civilization conference
10 July 2026. Syria’s Minister of Awqaf [Religious Endowments], Mohammed Abu al-Khair Shukri, urged deeper collaboration among Islamic religious and academic institutions along with renewed efforts to promote peace across the Islamic world.
Read more at: SANA
-
Women harvesting vegetables (L), and Welat, a resident of Jinwar standing amidst solar panels (R). (Matteo Trevisan:Jinwar Women’s Community)Women’s commune provides safety, solidarity, self-sufficiency and peace
9 July 2026. The village of Jinwar, one of several women-led communities in the northeast region, provides a safe haven for Kurdish, Arab and Yazidi women seeking independent lives. It offers healing, cooperation, and self-confidence while fostering peace, resilience, and collective strength. One resident said: “When women take steps forward, everything changes.”
Read more at: THE GUARDIAN
-
Huda Atassi, a civil society leader and champion of displaced and exiled families during the revolution, appointed to People’s Assembly. (Syrian Observer)Esteemed humanitarian chosen for the People’s Assembly by President al-Sharaa
8 July 2026. The appointment of Huda Atassi, a prominent advocate for Syrians exiled and displaced by civil war, reflects the inclusion of civil society figures in Syria’s new parliament. Trained as an architect, she left Syria in 2012 for Lebanon and then Turkey, where she served Syrian families suffering in exile.
Read more at: SYRIAN OBSERVER
-
Presidents Ahmad al-Sharaa and Emmanuel Macron meeting in Damascus announce a new phase in Syria–France relations, July 7, 2026. (SANA)Syria and France commit to long-term cooperation during French president’s historic visit to Damascus
7 July 2026. Calling Emmanuel Macron’s visit a historic milestone, President al-Sharaa said that Syria and France are “laying the foundations for a partnership built on tangible projects that serve the interests of our two peoples.” They restored ambassadorial ties and agreed on broad political, economic and security cooperation.
Read more at: SANA
-
French President Emmanuel Macron during joint press conference with Syria’s president at the People’s Palace in Damascus, July 7, 2026. (SANA)France announces its readiness to return € 50 million of seized illicit funds to Syria
7 July 2026. The signing of a declaration of intent between the French and Syrian foreign ministers will initiate the process of recovering €50 million in Syrian assets confiscated by France’s judicial system. The agreement includes the restoration of 23 artifacts that had been on loan to the Arab World Institute in Paris.
Read more at: SANA
-
![Rahmah [meaning compassion] Worldwide Foundation honours 180 orphaned children during a ceremony at the Damascus Opera House, July 5, 2026. (SANA)](https://i0.wp.com/newfaceofsyria.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Rahmah-meaning-compassion-Worldwide-Foundation-honours-180-orphaned-children-during-a-ceremony-at-the-Damascus-Opera-House-July-5-2026.-SANA.jpg?resize=796%2C624&ssl=1)
Rahmah [meaning compassion] Worldwide Foundation honours 180 orphaned children during a ceremony at the Damascus Opera House, July 5, 2026. (SANA)Damascus ceremony honors children orphaned by those who sacrificed for the revolution
6 July 2026. Jointly sponsored by government and humanitarian agencies, the event highlighted the importance attached by Syria to supporting orphaned children. Ministry officials stated that caring for children of martyrs is a national humanitarian responsibility, and that investing in people is central to the new Syria.
Read more at: SANA
-
Participants in the first national Eco-Innovate hackathon in Damascus, July 5. (SANA)Syria holds first national hackathon for tech-based solutions in environmentally-conscious development
5 July 2026. The 3-day Eco-Innovate program aims to empower technologically savvy youth to find solutions to Syria’s economic and development challenges that integrate environmental goals. The program seeks to immerse Syrian youth in a culture of environmental innovation.
Read more at: SANA
Click here for News Highlights dating back to May 2025
Perspectives
Essays Reflecting on the New Syria
-
Weaving the Past into the Present through Syria’s Textiles
The urgency of restoring Syria’s textile industry goes beyond economic revival; it is about preserving irreplaceable connections to the nation’s cultural soul and ensuring that the knowledge, stories, and social practices embedded in textile creation continue to exist for future generations.
-
Emerging Leadership in a Changing World
Signs of a new style of leadership are appearing around the world. As old systems fail to respond to accelerating change, people are looking for leaders who can move beyond age‑old patterns of established authority and embrace emerging realities. In many countries — including those that have endured profound upheaval — leaders are arising who emphasise social cohesion, inclusiveness, compassion, responsibility and building trust.
-
A Quiet Revolution
A quiet revolution is taking place in Syria today. Its source is an approach to national unity and peace rooted in inclusion, mutual dignity, and shared responsibility. This essay highlights a dramatic example of change in an area heavily conflicted for decades, where armed violence broke out last year several months after the new government came to power, and where police officers from groups once considered mortal enemies now serve side by side. Syria’s new leaders are modeling pathways to peace that speak to the challenges of human coexistence in a divided world.
-
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…
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.