UAE’s Khalaf Al Habtoor in Damascus: When Economics Serves Geopolitics
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June 13, 2025
This economic outreach comes amid an expanding Emirati footprint in Syria’s port infrastructure, 963 writes.
This economic outreach comes amid an expanding Emirati footprint in Syria’s port infrastructure, 963 writes.
Barrack, who met twice with Sharaa in recent weeks, including during President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to Riyadh, underscored the fragility of Syria’s transition.
Sharaa’s perceived moderation and Syria’s strategic importance—especially its proximity to Israel, its Kurdish population, and its history with Iran—make it a higher Western priority.
Highlighting the reopening of the Al-Arida border crossing with Lebanon, Alloush stated that it has recorded over 20,000 entries and exits since its resumption, according to Ultra Syria.
The council also directed a strong message to public officials and policymakers, urging them to take responsibility for holding criminals accountable and restoring rights to victims, Zaman al-Wasl writes.
Political researcher Sarkis Qassarjian sees U.S. policy in Syria as part of a wider effort to deconflict regional rivalries and create space for long-term economic projects, Ultra Syria writes.
The U.S. State Department reiterated its ongoing support for the Syrian transitional government, emphasizing the need for transparency in its decision-making process.
The Turkish announcement comes amid reports that Syria’s transitional government has launched an ambitious plan to build a unified national army, Ultra Syria writes.
While the transitional Syrian government has taken steps to contain and restrict the movements of foreign combatants, the issue has proven deeply complex, al-Hal writes.
Barak praised the evolving cooperation between the United States and Turkey on Syria, according to Syria TV.
Western policy towards Syria’s new regime blends incentives with discipline—a “diplomacy of conditionalities.”
According to the joint statement, this financial assistance stems from a desire to “support Syria’s stability,” “alleviate humanitarian suffering,” and “serve the interests of the Syrian people”—all framed as part of the historic and fraternal ties between the three nations.
Respondents attributed their reluctance primarily to the lack of suitable housing and the ongoing deterioration of security and economic conditions within Syria, al-Modon writes.
Barrack’s language reveals much about how America wants to be understood. In diplomacy—as in literature—meaning lies not only in what is said but in how the message is structured.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has described the recent visit of Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa to Turkey as a “significant turning point” in the bilateral relationship.
SANA described the event as a “practical indicator of a new phase” in Syrian-American relations, Zaman al-Wasl writes.
The agreement, signed on Thursday by the Ministry of Energy, will see the development of four combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants in the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Hama (Mhardeh and Zeizoun), and Homs (Tirfawi), 963 writes.
This development comes amid a broader campaign by Syria’s Drug Enforcement Administration, which continues to announce significant narcotics seizures across multiple provinces, al-Modon writes.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunna first made headlines after a massacre in the village of Arzeh, Hama province, in February, where at least fifteen civilians were killed.
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