August 2025

Refugees with tech expertise returning from exile in Istanbul. (Tim Dunk)

Syrian tech talent returns to Damascus to spark tech-driven renewal

5 August 2025. Civil war refugees with tech expertise are returning home to rebuild Syria’s tech sector. They’re part of a growing movement to support entrepreneurs and investors in tech-driven startups and help to overhaul Syria’s digital infrastructure. Immediately after the fall of Assad, they launched a professional network in Damascus and held a tech summit to connect Syria’s emerging tech industry with Silicon Valley. They return to serve despite financial sacrifice.Read more at: RESTOFWORLD

Ministers from Syria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Qatar inaugurate a landmark gas pipeline. (L24)

Gas pipeline boosts Syria’s recovery along with regional solidarity

5 August 2025. Syria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Qatar cooperated in launching a natural gas pipeline supplying Azerbaijani gas to Syria via Turkey, funded by Qatar. Completed in record time, the project aims to revitalize Syria’s economy by improving the electricity supply for rebuilding the economy and people’s lives. The leaders hailed the project as a strategic step toward peace, stability, security, mutual trust, and cooperation, in place of division.Read more at: LEVANT 24

Joint UN Mission arrives in Suwayda along with 40 truckloads of aid. (ENAB BALADI)

Desperately needed humanitarian support for Suwayda organized by UN

1 August 2025. UN agencies arrived in Suwayda to provide aid and assess the humanitarian needs of masses of people displaced in the recent conflicts. In partnership with local and international humanitarian organizations, the aid convoy brought 40 truckloads of food, fuel, shelter materials, medical, hygiene and other critical supplies. Syria’s Justice Ministry formed a committee to investigate the unrest and move toward accountability.Read more at: ENAB BALADI

Syrian (left) and Russian (right) foreign ministers meet, July 31, 2025. (L24)

Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, visits Moscow to reset relations

31 July 2025. In the first meeting since the ouster of Bashir Assad and his Russian allies, Asaad al-Shaibani meets with Sergei Lavrov and Vladimir Putin to renegotiate economic and defence agreements made by the Assad regime with Russia, and to assert the sovereignty of the new Syria. Al-Shaibani said the talks were “a necessary discussion … based on the lessons of the past, to formulate the future.” Russia offered support for Syria’s reconstruction through mutual agreements.Read more at: LEVANT24

Syrian and Jordanian communications officials discuss Syria’s reintegration into global organization. (Sami Smeirat-X on ENAB BALADI)

Syria rejoins global telecom network signaling new openness

30 July 2025. Ending over ten years of isolation, Syria rejoined the GSMA—a global association for mobile communications. The Ministry of Communications said the move, which will strengthen regional telecommunications cooperation, signifies a new openness. Jordan will supply expertise in the digital arena, pivotal to Syria’s economic development. Made possible by the lifting of sanctions, this step enables Syria to access global telecom services and conferences.Read more at: ENAB BALADI

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.

SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi reveals agenda for talks about unification. (Al Arabiya-Screenshot, 29 July)

Forthcoming talks in Paris arouse new hope for Syria’s military and political integration

29 July 2025. Commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Abdi Mazloum, confirmed that upcoming Paris talks will focus on a mechanism for integrating the SDF into Syria’s Ministry of Defence. The goal will be deciding on the means to implement the agreement he signed in March with interim president al-Sharaa. “We agree with the government on a unified Syria under one army and one flag,” Abdi said, while acknowledging unresolved issues. He welcomed Saudi Arabia’s role as a mediator.Read More at: ENAB BALADI

Saudi Investment Minister, Khalid Al Falih, led a 130 member delegation at landmark Saudi Syrian Investment Forum. (SANA)

Over $6 billion in investments pledged for Syria’s economic revival

28 July 2025. The Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus, under President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s patronage, is expected to have transformative impacts on Syria’s economy and society. The forum saw the signing of 47 agreements worth over $6 billion, spanning sectors ranging from energy, tourism, and infrastructure to agriculture, administration, and upgrading airports. The Saudi Minister of Investment, declared, “We are not building new bridges, we are reinforcing ancient ties.”Read More at: SANA

Elections chairman, Mohammed Taha al Ahmad, reports on electoral reforms to make Syria’s People’s Assembly more representative and responsive. (SANA)

Syria aims for transparent and inclusive national elections in September

27 July 2025. Following meetings with leading figures in diverse sectors of Syrian society, the chairman of the Higher Committee of People’s Assembly Elections presented recommendations for sweeping electoral reforms to President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who stressed the goal of overcoming division and sectarianism. The reforms aim to create a People’s Assembly “worthy of Syria’s leadership, land, and sacrifices,” the chairman said, one that will advance reconstruction and development. The elections will be monitored by local communities and international organizations.Read More at: SANA

His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the world, meets People’s Assembly election committee. (SANA)

Prominent Church leader calls People’s Assembly elections a milestone for Syria’s future

27 July 2025. Preparing for the upcoming People’s Assembly elections, Syria’s election committee is reaching out to leaders in all sectors of society to ensure inclusive representation. Among the religious leaders they met with, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II affirmed his church’s support for the government’s path to national unity and the electoral process. He expressed the hope that members of parliament would be elected for their competence, experience, and ability to serve the nation, regardless of religious, sectarian, or ethnic affiliations.Read more at: SANA

Foreign Ministers of US, France and Syria meet in Paris confirming support for Syria’s transition (X-@USAMBTurkiye on Arab News site 25 July)

France and the US stand united with Syria at critical time

25 July 2025. At a pivotal meeting in Paris following the ceasefire in Suweyda, France and the US reaffirmed their shared commitment to guaranteeing a unified, stable, and sovereign Syria. Key agreements included accelerating the political transition, combating terrorism, fostering national reconciliation, and promoting accountability of combatants. The parties emphasized inclusive dialogue to heal divisions and support the building of a cohesive, secure future for all Syrians. Read more at: SANA

Syria’s Minister of Information, Dr. Hamza al-Mustafa. (SANA)

Frustration with international media coverage of Syria’s transition

24 July 2025. Syria’s information minister expressed deep dissatisfaction with international media outlets for their formulaic responses to the nation’s recovery. Despite unprecedented access to information and services granted by the ministry, in the hope of gaining objective coverage of a country undergoing a complex transition, he found that entrenched and biased views of Syria and the Middle East have persisted. The minister highlighted the profound responsibility of journalism, especially in critical times, “to pursue truth with integrity, and to remain open to facts, rather than clinging to ready-made judgments…”Read more at: SANA

New Face of Syria