Home World Another sign of Syria's rebuilding: The Damascus stock exchange opens again

Another sign of Syria’s rebuilding: The Damascus stock exchange opens again

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh, center, attends the opening ceremony at the Damascus Securities Exchange in Damascus, Syria, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh, center, attends the opening ceremony at the Damascus Securities Exchange in Damascus, Syria, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Omar Sanadiki/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Omar Sanadiki/AP

DAMASCUS — Trading resumed on the Damascus Securities Exchange on Monday after a six-month closure, as Syria ‘s new leaders attempt to shore up the country’s battered economy and begin rebuilding after nearly 14 years of civil war.

The stock exchange had closed during the chaotic days leading up to the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh, who attended the reopening, said it signals that the country’s economy is beginning to recover and that the stock exchange “will operate as a private company and serve as a genuine hub for Syria’s economic development, with a strong focus on digital,” state-run news agency SANA reported.

He said the country’s new leaders plan to “facilitate business operations and open doors to promising investment opportunities.”

Sponsor Message

The move to reopen comes as international restrictions on Syria’s financial systems begin to ease. The United States and Europe both last month announced the lifting of a wide raft of sanctions that had been slapped on Syria under the Assad dynasty’s rule.

Last week, Syria inked a power deal worth $7 billion with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and U.S. companies for development of a 5,000-megawatt energy project to revitalize much of Syria’s war-battered electricity grid.

The consortium led by Qatar’s UCC Concession Investments — along with Power International USA and Turkey’s Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari, Cengiz Enerji — will develop four combined-cycle gas turbines with a total generating capacity estimated at approximately 4,000 megawatts and a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Must Read

Iran’s nuclear program set back ‘a few months.’ And, Trump to meet with NATO allies

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has informed NPR that the Defense Intelligence Agency believes the damage to Iran's most

Trump doubles down on damage U.S. strikes caused to Iran’s nuclear sites

President Trump speaks during a media conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 25. Matthias Schrader/AP hide caption toggle caption Matthias Schrader/AP President Trump used a press conference at the NATO summit Wednesday to expand on his insistence that U.S. strikes heavily damaged Iran's nuclear operation, despite a preliminary U.S. intelligence

Six things to know about Iran’s supreme leader

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a group of people and officials in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 21, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/Via AP hide caption toggle caption Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/Via AP Middle

Why a war in the Middle East hasn’t sparked an oil crisis

The LyondellBasell Houston refinery is seen in June. Multiple factors are holding oil prices down, including the fact that the United States is now the world's largest oil producer. Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America Immediately after Israel attacked Iran earlier this month, crude oil prices spiked

Brazilian tourist found dead after falling from an Indonesian volcano

In this undated photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, a rescuer climbs down the ridge of Mount Rinjani during the evacuation operation for Juliana Marins, a Brazilian tourist who fell while hiking near the volcano's summit, in Lombok, Indonesia. BASARNAS/AP hide caption toggle caption BASARNAS/AP SAO