Syria opens Damascus roadworks firm to foreign investment

Shafaq News – Damascus

The Syrian Ministry of Public Works and Housing has officially added the Damascus branch of the General Company for Roads and Bridges to its list of state-owned enterprises designated for investment and rehabilitation, a government source revealed to Shafaq News on Sunday.

The move aims to revive the company’s role as a key implementer of road and bridge projects in the capital and surrounding areas, while supporting Syria’s broader post-war infrastructure recovery strategy. Preliminary estimates place the company’s annual project capacity at around 5 billion Syrian pounds, with an operational workforce exceeding 400 engineers, technicians, and laborers.

According to the source, the plan will open the door to companies interested in investing in Syria, either through direct partnerships or offers to operate and finance projects. The goal is to modernize the firm’s fleet of heavy machinery and enhance its technical and engineering capabilities to meet the demands of the upcoming reconstruction phase.

The Ministry is expected to announce the full investment plan and partnership application process in the coming weeks. Officials say the initiative could generate hundreds of jobs and strengthen Syria’s ability to carry out infrastructure projects using domestic labor and well-managed resources.

Economist Hassan Rifai told Shafaq News that, given its geographic position linking Turkiye, Iraq, the Gulf, and the Mediterranean, Syria must modernize its transport infrastructure and expand its bridge networks.

Damascus should also benefit from the experience of regional firms specializing in roads and bridges, Rifai added, pointing to leading companies in this sector operating in Turkiye and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. “Thanks to the improved relations between Damascus, Erbil, and Ankara, these companies could potentially contribute to Syria’s infrastructure investment projects.”