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.
An IMF staff team visited Damascus from 15 to 19 February 2026 to assess economic conditions, review reform progress, and discuss policy priorities and capacity-building needs. Preliminary data indicate that Syria ended 2025 with a small budget surplus, achieved without central bank financing, marking a notable improvement compared with previous years.
Ron van Rooden, head of the IMF mission, highlighted that international sanctions have been lifted and 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 will continue supporting Syria through technical assistance and capacity building in several areas:
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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Four people aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat, flagged in Florida, were killed and six others wounded on Wednesday after the vessel entered Cuban territorial waters and fired on Cuban border patrol forces, Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior (MININT) reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed on Wednesday in Beijing to strengthen economic cooperation while addressing trade imbalances, market access concerns, and the war in Ukraine, during Merz’s first official visit to China since taking office.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says it will provide on-site passport and consular services to settlers based in the West Bank on Friday 27 February. The move marks the first time American consular officials have offered such services to settlers, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest State of the Union address set out a second-term agenda built on economic protectionism, military strength and a hard line on Iran, signalling a strategy that pairs diplomatic engagement with firm red lines, Assoc. Prof. Orkhan Valiyev told AnewZ Daybreak.
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Afghanistan.
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the war is no longer defined by shock but by scale.
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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Thousands of people gathered across Europe and beyond over the weekend in solidarity with Ukraine, as the war with Russia entered its fifth year.
Georgia is facing intensifying diplomatic pressure as Western partners urge stronger alignment against Russia, while leaders in Tbilisi warn that further steps could endanger national stability and sovereignty.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit, becoming the first Indian premier to address the Knesset. He praised the “vital” India–Israel ties and reaffirmed solidarity amid regional tensions.
A Su-30SM fighter jet crashed during a scheduled training flight in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region on 25 February, with both pilots ejecting safely, the defence ministry said.
A group of sick and injured Palestinians and their caregivers left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday (25 February) for medical treatment abroad, as limited evacuations continue under tight restrictions.
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