meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Syria makes progress towards reunification

24 April 2025

 

Following the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad in late 2024, President Ahmed Al-Sharaa has rapidly consolidated power in Syria. He has transitioned from a militant and political outsider into a credible leader increasingly recognised in the region and on the world stage.

Within Syria, Al-Sharaa faces political, economic, military and civil challenges in pulling the country back together again. In recent weeks, a prominent focus has been the reunification of Syria’s fractured security landscape through the negotiated dissolution and integration of smaller rebel factions into a centralised military structure under the Ministry of Defence.

Rebel disbandment

Most recently, the new government brokered the dissolution of the Eighth Brigade, a 3,000-strong rebel group based in the southern city of Daraa that had waged an insurgency against the government of Bashar Al-Assad since 2018.

That outcome proved a relief to the government after its trustworthiness in talks was thrown into doubt by the chaos that erupted in Syria’s coastal region on 6 March as Islamist groups committed massacres against Alawite civilians in revenge over attacks by Assad loyalists.

On 9 March, Al-Sharaa appointed a committee to report on the violence, determine its perpetrators and theoretically hold them to account. That move caused some murmurings within his own ranks, but externally it showed the president’s commitment, in principle, to justice.

It also appeared to serve the political imperatives of the moment. Just a day later, on 10 March, the reassured Kurdish- led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – representing tens of thousands of trained soldiers – signed a deal to integrate its forces into the national army.

The deal marked perhaps the most significant step towards national reunification so far, promising to restore to government control a swathe of northeastern Syria and its oil fields that has been largely lost to Damascus since the 2014 invasion by the Islamic State.

The integration of the SDF into the national military also appears to have been accepted by the US, which had been supporting the SDF military as an independent force in the northeast of the country, but has now announced the planned staggered withdrawal of its stationed troops.

Al-Sharaa has been making his rounds of the region in a diplomatic blitz aimed at shoring up regional support for his new government

Broader priorities

Alongside reconsolidating and restructuring the country’s military and security apparatus, Al-Sharaa’s main priorities are foreign affairs and economic policy. These two areas go hand in hand, given that removing international sanctions is key to reviving Syria’s economy.

In late March, Al-Sharaa entrenched his authority by enacting a new constitutional declaration, announcing a new transitional government and granting himself sweeping executive powers, including the right to appoint a third of the legislature and select judges for the constitutional court.

The cabinet was also broadened and reshuffled to address concerns over the lack of representation from minority communities. Individuals from the Alawite, Druze and Christian communities, as well as one woman, were appointed to ministerial positions.

The move further witnessed the replacement of the formerly appointed justice minister Shadi Al-Waisi, whose elevation embarrassed the government after 2015 videos surfaced of him presiding over street executions by morality police as part of the then Nusra Front. His removal was another reassuring step for observers that the government is attuned and reactive to constructive criticism.

With the right signals sent, Al-Sharaa has been making his rounds of the region in a diplomatic blitz aimed at shoring up regional support for his new government. He is likely also aiming to put the right words in the right ears, in the hope that they filter through the Gulf’s power lobbying system to the US.

Already on 30 January, just a day after Al-Sharaa became president, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani flew to greet the man who displaced Al-Assad – a goal also long pursued by Doha. On 2 February, Al-Sharaa then took his first trip abroad to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Some other regional governments have been more reticent to launch into renewed relations, but have increasingly come on board.

This includes Iraq, which, hesitant over Al-Sharaa’s past militant activity against Baghdad, only arranged a meeting between the Syrian president and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on 17 April in Doha – ultimately driven by shared security imperatives. Al-Sudani also invited Al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab summit in Baghdad in May.

On 14 April, the equally green Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also met with Al-Sharaa in Damascus – no doubt keen to address the recent border clashes between the two countries. A day earlier, Al-Sharaa was in Abu Dhabi to meet Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, rounding out his visits to the key power brokers and budget holders in the Gulf.

Between all of these meetings, Al-Sharaa appears to have ingratiated himself with the region’s other leaders with remarkable rapidity and ease. A year after the Arab League reaccepted him in May 2023, Al-Assad had made little comparable progress.

For world leaders weary from years of dithering by Al-Assad’s government, which was unable or unwilling to even acquiesce to the Gulf’s most basic request – to stem the flow of the drug captagon from within Syria’s borders – Al-Sharaa is at least a partner who can do that and achieve far more besides. 

For years, it has been the case that a reunified Syria and a rebuilt Syrian economy would lift the entire Levant region and any Gulf investors with it. The appetite in the region to see it succeed has been there. All that has been missing is a suitable partner in Damascus to move forward with.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13747658/main.gif
John Bambridge

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Dubai scales up its metro ambitions

    23 April 2026

     

    Dubai’s rail sector has rarely seen such a concentrated burst of procurement activity as it has in the past year.

    Within the space of a few months, Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has moved simultaneously on three distinct fronts: tendering design consultancy for the Route 2020 extension that will connect the Expo 2020 metro station to Al-Maktoum International airport; inviting study-and-design bids for a 55-kilometre Airport Express Line linking Dubai International airport to Al-Maktoum International airport; and culminating in Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum’s approval of the AED34bn ($9.2bn) Gold Line, a 42km fully underground route that the emirate is calling the largest transportation project in its history.

    These projects form a key part of the Dubai Rail Network Plan 2032, which outlines the development of six public transportation schemes comprising a mix of metro, passenger and high-speed rail lines.

    The most prominent feature of the plan is the addition of new lines to Dubai Metro’s existing network, representing a systematic effort to support the shift of Dubai’s economic centre of gravity towards Dubai South and the vast development corridors in between.

    The city is also seeking to stay ahead of the curve by investing heavily in infrastructure. Data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects shows that the emirate has awarded over $14bn-worth of transport projects in the past two years alone, with several other multibillion-dollar schemes still moving through the planning stages.

    All of this work is being carried out in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which forecasts the emirate’s population will reach 5.8 million by 2040 – a clear indication of the scale of daily movement the city must accommodate.

    Project progress

    Dubai Metro Gold Line

    On 21 April, Sheikh Mohammed officially announced the launch of the new AED34bn ($9.2bn) Gold Line project.

    The line will be a fully underground network spanning over 42 kilometres, with 18 stations.

    It will run from Al-Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai to Jumeirah Golf Estates.

    The Gold Line will connect with Dubai Metro’s existing Red and Green lines and integrate with the Etihad Rail passenger network.

    In October last year, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had selected US-based engineering firm Aecom to provide consultancy services for the project.

    Stage one covers concept design; stage two, preliminary design; stage three, preparation of tender documents; stage four, construction supervision; and stage five, the defects liability period.

    Airport Express Line

    Procurement has started for another metro line extending from Dubai International airport (DXB) in Al-Garhoud to Al-Maktoum International airport (DWC) in Jebel Ali.

    Earlier this month, the RTA invited consultants to bid for a contract to study and design what is referred to as the Airport Express Line.

    The proposed line will stretch about 55km and include five stations that will provide passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening.

    The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at DXB through Al-Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), before continuing on to DWC.

    There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club, while the second will branch toward Business Bay, where another station will be built.

    Expo 2020 route extension

    Dubai is also undertaking the Route 2020 extension of its metro system, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect with Al-Maktoum International airport’s West Terminal.

    Consultants submitted their bids earlier this month for the design contract.

    The extension will run for about 3km and feature two stations.

    The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

    Dubai Metro Blue Line extension

    Construction progress on the Dubai Metro Blue Line extension is expected to reach 30% by the end of 2026, according to official accounts.

    In December 2024, the RTA awarded a AED20.5bn ($5.5bn) main contract for the construction of the project.

    The contract was awarded to a consortium of Turkiye’s Limak Holding, Mapa Group, also of Turkiye, and the Hong Kong office of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).

    The Blue Line will connect the existing Red and Green lines. It will be 30km long, with 15.5km underground and 14.5km above ground.

    The line will have 14 stations, seven of which will be elevated. There will be five underground stations, including one interchange station, and two elevated transfer stations connected to the existing Centrepoint and Creek stations.

    The project is scheduled for completion in September 2029.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16534887/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Sports Boulevard tenders Wadi Hanifa road works

    23 April 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia’s Sports Boulevard Foundation has issued a tender inviting firms to bid for a contract to build a road and associated infrastructure in the Wadi Hanifa area of Riyadh.

    The bid submission deadline is 27 April.

    The scope includes construction of an 11.4-kilometre road and associated infrastructure, including public realm works, utilities and security systems.

    The scheme is the latest package to progress on Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard project.

    The Sports Boulevard Foundation is also evaluating bids for its Global Sports Tower in the development’s Athletics District.

    The 130-metre-tall Global Sports Tower will have a gross floor area of 84,000 square metres (sq m) and will include more than 30 sports facilities. The tower will feature what is billed as the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, at 98 metres, and a 250-metre running track.

    Sports Boulevard will run across Riyadh from east to west. Once complete, it is intended to be the world’s longest park, stretching more than 135 kilometres.

    The project is divided into multiple districts, including the Wadi Hanifah, Arts, Urban Wadi, Entertainment, Athletics and Eco districts, as well as Sands Sports Park.

    The large-scale development aims to transform central Riyadh – currently dominated by major highways – into a recreational corridor.

    Sports Boulevard will include 4.4 million sq m of public realm and landmark buildings. Along with the Global Sports Tower, there will be a Centre for Cinematic Arts and a 2,000-seat amphitheatre.

    It will also deliver more than 2.3 million sq m of mixed-use commercial, residential and retail space, alongside sports facilities, around the park, known as the Linear Park.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16534345/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Masdar to develop renewables projects in Montenegro

    23 April 2026

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) have agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture to develop and operate renewable energy projects in Montenegro.

    The planned projects include solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, hydropower, pumped-hydro storage and battery energy storage systems.

    The joint venture will be headquartered in Niksic in western Montenegro and is intended to support Montenegro’s domestic energy needs while also enabling the export of renewable electricity to the Western Balkans and Southern Europe, Masdar said in a statement.

    The companies plan to leverage an existing sub-sea interconnection with Italy. Montenegro is connected to Italy via a 600MW HVDC submarine cable, enabling electricity exports to the Italian market.

    Masdar has an existing presence in Montenegro through its investment in the 72MW Krnovo wind farm.

    The developer has recently accelerated foreign investment plans as part of its broader expansion. In April, it signed a binding agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to establish a $2.2bn joint venture to develop, build and operate renewable energy projects across Asia.

    The combined business will have 3GW of operational capacity and 6GW of projects in advanced development, targeted for commissioning by 2030.

    Masdar is targeting a global renewable energy portfolio of 100GW by 2030. It recently reached 65GW, two-thirds of the way to that target.

    The company plans to deploy an additional $30bn-$35bn in equity and project finance by 2030, adding an average of 10GW of new capacity each year.

    This expansion will be funded through a mix of equity, green bonds and long-term project financing.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16534112/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Qiddiya sets new deadline for infrastructure package

    23 April 2026

     

    Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has set a 13 May deadline for bids for a contract covering new infrastructure works at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The scope comprises two infrastructure development packages for District 0 of Qiddiya Entertainment City, including the construction of four event park-and-ride facilities.

    The tender was issued on 11 March, with an initial bid submission deadline of 22 April.

    Lebanese firm Dar Al-Handasah and Saudi-based Sets International are serving as project consultants.

    QIC is accelerating plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City. Earlier this month, the company received prequalification statements from firms for the engineering, procurement, construction and finance package for the Qiddiya high-speed rail project.

    MEED has also reported that QIC received bids from contractors on 23 February for a SR980m ($261m) contract covering the construction of staff accommodation at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The project will cover an area of more than 105,000 square metres (sq m).

    Also in February, QIC started the main construction works on its performing arts centre at the entertainment hub.

    The Qiddiya City performing arts centre is one of several major projects within the greater Qiddiya development. Other projects include an e-games arena, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    QIC officially opened the Six Flags theme park to the public in December last year.

    The park covers 320,000 sq m and features 28 rides and attractions, including 10 thrill rides and 18 aimed at families and young children.

    The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years.

    Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector posted record figures last year, with more than 130 million domestic and international visitors – a 6% increase on 2024.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16533776/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Detailed design progressing for major Iraqi oil project

    23 April 2026

     

    Detailed design work is progressing on Iraq’s 950-kilometre seawater pipeline network under the Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP), according to industry sources.

    They added that on-site construction would begin only after the detailed design is complete.

    Iraq’s state-owned Basra Oil Company (BOC) and China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering (CPP) signed a $2.5bn contract for the pipeline package in September last year.

    The project is being supervised by Austria’s ILF Consulting Engineers.

    The pipeline package is one of two main CSSP packages.

    The second focuses on a seawater treatment facility, expected to have a capacity of 5 million barrels a day (b/d), potentially rising to 7-8 million b/d in later phases.

    Processed water will be injected into some of Iraq’s largest oil fields – Rumaila, Zubair, West Qurna 1, West Qurna 2 and Majnoon – and also used in the Maysan and Dhi Qar fields.

    Iraq’s Oil Ministry said the injected water will help maintain reservoir pressure and sustain crude production.

    CPP is a subsidiary of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation.

    TotalEnergies is responsible for the CSSP as part of the larger $27bn Gas Growth Integrated Project.

    Iraq approved a $2.45bn contract with South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) in August last year for the engineering, procurement and construction of the seawater treatment plant.

    Over recent weeks, Iraq’s oil exports have collapsed by about 80% due to fallout from the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

    READ THE APRIL 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the April 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16527404/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp