Damascus Businessmen Forum Aims To Rebuild Regional Trust With Focus on Investment, Not Aid
Business leaders announced the establishment of Damascus SBN Holding Company to fund reconstruction and development
The Damascus Businessmen Forum, held at the Royal Semiramis Hotel, brought together leading Syrian entrepreneurs alongside prominent financial figures from Saudi Arabia, other Gulf nations, and the United States. The gathering was hailed as the most significant step in years toward rebuilding trust and fostering renewed cooperation between Syrian and Arab investors.
The forum seeks to align economic strategies and strengthen dialogue between Syria’s business community and the country’s new economic leadership. Its goal is to stimulate investment, support national reconstruction, and create favorable conditions for Gulf investors to actively participate in the Syrian market.
In his opening speech, Syrian businessman Wael Alkhalidi affirmed that this meeting is “the fruit of a long struggle and great sacrifices made by the great Syrian people, who turned their suffering into a move towards renaissance and freedom.”
After his speech, he told The Media Line that the next stage will demand unity among all economic stakeholders, calling on them to move beyond past divisions and take part in a nationwide effort to restore Syria’s position as a thriving, law-based investment hub within the Arab world and the broader region.
Business leaders Bassem Qaisi and Nabil Al-Mazloum also addressed the forum, describing the current stage of Syria’s economy as a historic turning point — one of transformation from pain to productivity, from challenge to rebuilding, and from isolation to openness.
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They stressed that reconstruction and economic revival are collective responsibilities shared by the state, investors, expatriates, and citizens alike, aimed at rebuilding trust and revitalizing the private sector.
In a separate statement to The Media Line, Qaisi and Al-Mazloum said that Syrian-Saudi cooperation is founded on integration and partnership rather than financial aid. They emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s economic strength and regional influence, combined with Syria’s natural resources and the determination of its people, can create a robust Arab economic model capable of redefining development across the Arab East.
They added that practical plans, grounded in detailed studies and ready-to-launch projects, are already in place and being jointly monitored by the economic institutions of both nations. These initiatives span multiple sectors, including real estate and tourism, healthcare, education and vocational training, industry, agriculture, trade, and services.
Participants at the forum stressed the importance of redefining the relationship between the state and the private sector on principles of transparency and accountability. They said such reform is essential to rebuild mutual trust and to give Syrian business leaders a stronger voice in shaping the country’s future economic policies.
At the close of the event, organizers announced that preparations are underway to officially launch SBN Holding Co. in Damascus. The new investment entity will include seven economic divisions and broad regional partnerships, with a mission to support reconstruction and advance sustainable development projects across Syria.
The forum concluded with a shared commitment to make this initiative a new starting point for Syrian and Arab investors—one grounded in cooperation, openness, and a collective national vision for a stable and prosperous modern Syria.
