23 May 2026. Syria joined military training exercises in Turkey along with 50 other nations—the first time the Syrian army has participated in exercises outside the country. The development reflects growing diplomatic and military coordination with Ankara, plus Damascus’ expanding international cooperation.Read more at: LEVANT 24
23 May 2026. Syria’s Finance Ministry announced disciplinary measures against 256 employees, legal agents and accountants across several provinces as part of a broad anticorruption drive aimed at strengthening integrity and improving transparency within financial institutions.Read more at: SANA
21 May 2026. The need for alternative Middle East transport channels is reviving Syria’s ancient role as part of the Silk Road that linked Central Asia with the Mediterranean. It has begun serving as a land bridge between the Middle East and Europe, starting with goods and oil from the UAE and Iraq.Read more at: LEVANT 24
21 May 2026. The ICRC welcomed Syria’s involvement in the Global Initiative on Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law, an initiative aimed at restoring respect for the rules of war and the Geneva Conventions. It is part of Syria’s growing participation in international laws and treaties.Read more at: SANA
20 May 2026. At the 2026 Education World Forum in London, Minister Mohammed Turko affirmed that girls’ education is a fundamental human right and central to Syria’s development, stressing the need for equal access to education and safe learning environments after years of crisis.Read more at: SANA
20 May 2026. In a video address to the assembly, President al-Sharaa said: “I address you today from Damascus at a moment when the world faces challenges requiring a shared international resolve that prioritizes human health and lays the foundation for a more secure and equitable future,” stating Syria is committed to global health security.Read more at: LEVANT 24Watch video at: YOUTUBE
19 May 2026. Having removed economic sanctions on Syria in May 2025, the EU has just removed sanctions on the Defense and Interior ministries, retaining them only on individuals and entities linked to the former regime. The sanctions were imposed following Assad’s brutal repression of civilian protests in 2011.Read more at: SYRIAN OBSERVER
18 May 2026. Syria has been invited to join a closed G7 financial session next month, discussing the country’s sustainable recovery and reintegration into the global system, along with its position in the shifting Middle East landscape. President al-Sharaa and Finance Minister Barnieh are expected to attend.Read more at: ENAB BALADI
18 May 2026. The Ministry of Sports and Youth and UNICEF gathered 250 young leaders, officials and civil society groups to design Syria’s first National Youth Strategy, highlighting youth as partners, innovators and active contributors to community development.Read more at: LEVANT 24
18 May 2026. Syria’s Social Affairs and Labor ministry and the World Food Program opened the “T-Anmu” (I Grow) initiative, supported by France and Switzerland, aimed at building an integrated, just and sustainable social protection system with a focus on Syrian families with malnourished children.Read more at: SANA
18 May 2026. Health Minister al-Ali said Syria’s participation in the 79th World Health Assembly reflects a shift from crisis response to longterm system building, including rehabilitating hospitals and primary care centers, improving worker support, expanding drug production and utilizing digital tools to improve service.Read more at: SANA
18 May 2026. Syria’s television authority has begun filming ‘The Way Back,’ a seven episode series that portrays the effects of mass displacement and camp life during the revolution. It will utilize personal experiences and dramatic storytelling to convey the emotional and psychological impacts of violence and siege.Read more at: LEVANT 24
16 May 2026. The leader of the US Central Command, head of military operations in 20 Middle East and Asian countries, sees Syria as pivotal to shifting the Middle East from a zone of chaos into a zone of trade and stability, and he linked Syria’s stability to US security. He said the US is engaging with the Syrian government to “support a settlement that preserves dignity in the post-Assad phase.”Read more at: ENAB BALADI
16 May 2026. Sixteen students from Syria’s national physics team joined the two-day KAI International Physics Olympiad remotely, reflecting ongoing efforts to boost Syria’s scientific talent and expand its participation in advanced global academic competitions.Read more at: SANA
16 May 2026. Syria’s Emergency Ministry has filled and levelled more than 900 kilometres of war era trenches and berms in Idlib province. This work, critical to areas heavily damaged by years of conflict, serves to reconnect farmlands, ease access for civilians, and support economic recovery.Read more at: SANA
15 May 2026. Syria’s UN Ambassador, Ibrahim Olabi, cited developments in transitional justice, press freedoms, rebuilding institutions, launching strategic investment partnerships and other areas, while calling on Security Council members to respect Syria’s autonomy and support mutual goals as partners.Read more at: SANA
14 May 2026. In an interview with Euronews during the Brussels conference, Foreign Minister al-Shibani stated that Syria is prepared to reach an agreement with Israel that protects mutual sovereignty and security, but that normalization imposed through “military force or provocation” is unacceptable.Read more at: SYRIAN OBSERVER
14 May 2026. The Kurdish Culture Days festival opened in Damascus on Kurdish Language Day, with musical and dance performances, lectures on Kurdish language and history, and film screenings featuring Kurdish heritage and its contribution to Syria’s cultural landscape.Read more at: SANA
13 May 2026. The 23-member UN delegation met with Syrian officials to assess progress as Syria shifts from depending on emergency aid to leading a national recovery and development phase, focused on restoring essential services and enabling the return of displaced families.Read more at: SYRIAN OBSERVER
12 May 2026. UN-Habitat and Japan announced a project to improve service delivery and urban governance affecting some 870,000 people in 20 municipalities across 7 provinces. This grant is in addition to €58.51 million in previous grants from Japan to UN agencies on behalf of Syria’s recovery.Read more at: ENAB BALADI
12 May 2026. The first Syria–UAE Investment Forum laid the foundations for a long-term strategic partnership based on investment, economic integration and regional interests. The culmination of high-level contacts since Syria’s liberation, the new relationship reflects trust, brotherhood and shared interests, a Syrian official said.Read more at: SANA
12 May 2026. Syria honored its top Arab Reading Challenge participants, chosen from 1.3 million students at 6,000 schools to represent Syria in the final challenge along with students from 60 nations. The program highlights the value of reading for personal growth and preserving the Arabic language.Read more at: SANAWatch video at: SANA or YOUTUBE
11 May 2026. The EU and Syria held their first high-level dialogue after 14 years of Syria’s isolation. Syria presented recovery priorities and Brussels committed to spending €455 million in support of the Syrian people as the country rebuilds, while also coordinating support from other donors.Read more at: LEVANT 24EU pledges support for Syria’s recovery and reconstruction, 12 May 2026Watch video at: SANAEU Commissioner Šuica calls Brussels EU-Syria meeting a “historic day”Watch video at: SANA
10 May 2026. A criminal court in Damascus stripped Bashar and Maher al-Assad of their civil rights, placing their sizeable assets under state administration. The court issued similar rulings against other figures in the former regime, as part of the transitional justice process.Read more at: ENAB BALADI
9 May 2026. A UN delegation pledged support for a major government initiative aiming to move Syrian families displaced by years of civil war, still living in tent camps, into long-term permanent housing while also providing services to help them rebuild their lives.Read more at: LEVANT 24
