Giant Construction Projects Boom as U.S. Lifts Syria Sanctions
Syria has signed a $7 billion deal with a consortium of U.S., Qatari, and Turkish energy firms to build new power plants, part of a broader push to revive its energy infrastructure, after President Donald Trump recently announced lifting sanctions on the war-ravaged country.
The projects are a sign of Syria's re-emergence after years of conflict and international isolation and of the investment it can potentially attract for infrastructure construction. They also show the way that U.S., Gulf and Turkish administrations and companies seek to take a lead in a country formerly aligned with Iran.
Aiming to breathe life into a war-weary Syria and to assist new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Trump's surprise announcement in Riyadh on lifting sanctions marked a pivotal moment in his Middle East visit-one with significant implications for U.S.-Arab relations.
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, announced the deal a day after arriving in the country, marking the first official U.S. visit to Syria in 12 years.
"Only a week after President Trump's announcement to lift sanctions, we have already unlocked billions of dollars of international investment for Syria," Barrack posted to his X account.
Syria signed the memory of understanding with a consortium led by the Qatari-based UCC Holding. The deal includes four gas power plants in Homs, Hama, and Deir-Azzour with a total capacity of 4,000 MW, plus a 1,000 MW solar plant in southern Syria.
The breakthrough in U.S.-Syria relations follows the ouster of the Iranian-backed Assad regime. However, there remains skepticism about Syria's stability and continuing violence.
Further concerns of renewed ISIS threats persist. ISIS claimed responsibility for its first two attacks in Syria under the new government on Thursday-one hitting seven soldiers in Sweida and another targeting the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army according to The Associated Press.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack wrote on X: "Thanks to @POTUS, Syria is OPEN FOR BUSINESS, and thanks to Qatar and Türkiye, the old boundaries and borders are collapsing. Commerce not chaos!"
Syria's Energy Minister Mohammed Al Bashir, ass quoted by the company's press release: "This agreement marks a crucial step in Syria's infrastructure recovery plan. It will strengthen our national grid, expand access to electricity, and help meet growing demand through partnerships that combine international expertise with local priorities."
Construction will start after final agreements, with gas plants completed in three years and the solar plant in under two years, UCC Holding said. Syria can expect to attract significantly more infrastructure investment if the security situation allows.
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