Syria’s economy is showing clear signs of recovery, with economic activity accelerating in recent months, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.
The economic rebound is being driven by improved consumer and investor sentiment, the return of refugees, and increased electricity supply. Favourable rainfall and deeper regional integration are also contributing to growth.
Ron van Rooden, Head of the IMF mission, said that because international sanctions have been lifted, Syria is reintegrating into regional and global economic networks.
He noted that progress towards national reconciliation and improved infrastructure are supporting growth prospects for 2026 and beyond. Several large new investment projects are also contributing, although the IMF did not specify their details.
Authorities have prepared the 2026 budget with a focus on healthcare, education, infrastructure rehabilitation, and wage increases. Revenue projections are ambitious but achievable, with safeguards in place to protect social spending if financing falls short.
The IMF emphasised that strong international support remains crucial, particularly to alleviate poverty among returning refugees and internally displaced persons. Syria’s ability to mobilise external financing will depend on progress in addressing legacy debts and maintaining international cooperation.
Despite constraints, the Central Bank of Syria has maintained a tight monetary stance. Inflation slowed to low single digits by the end of 2025, while the Syrian pound appreciated compared with 2024. The IMF highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen the central bank’s independence, implement a robust monetary policy framework, and assess the health of the banking sector to rebuild public trust.
The IMF said it will continue supporting Syria through technical assistance and capacity building in several areas:
The IMF said that these initiatives are designed to facilitate sustainable economic recovery and lay the groundwork for future IMF Article IV consultations.
“The authorities have shown transparency and constructive engagement throughout our mission,” van Rooden said, commending their collaboration.
The IMF team met with senior officials, including Minister of Finance Mohamad Yisr Barnieh and Central Bank Governor Abdulkader Husrieh, alongside other high-ranking representatives.
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Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
U.S. President Donald Trump vented his frustration with NATO during a private meeting with its secretary-general, Mark Rutte, on Wednesday as relations in the military alliance reached a crisis point over the Iran war.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday its military ships and aircraft will remain around Iran and threatened that the U.S. will start "shooting" again unless Tehran fully complies with the deal reached with Washington.
Walt Disney is planning to cut up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, with many of the reductions expected to affect its marketing division, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the plans.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
South Korea has welcomed a rare conciliatory response from North Korea, calling it a “meaningful step” towards easing military tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Israel launched its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since hostilities escalated last month, killing over 100 people, even as Hezbollah halted attacks under a disputed U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye aims to rank among the world’s top ten exporters of defence technology within the next two years.
As global attention centres on the conflict between Iran and the U.S., violence in Lebanon is intensifying, with Israeli strikes hitting residential areas, causing mounting civilian casualties and deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
Uzbekistan and the U.S. are preparing to launch a joint investment platform by the end of the year, alongside the creation of a new bilateral business council aimed at strengthening economic cooperation.
More than 94,000 people have been displaced in Afghanistan since late February due to cross-border fighting, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said, while nearly 100,000 in Nuristan remain cut off from aid due to insecurity.
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