On 11 May 2026, the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa (SDI) convened a roundtable discussion on the Syrian market and opportunities to revive the Syrian economy. The roundtable brought together representatives from the Swedish Foreign Ministry and government agencies, private companies, international institutions, and the Swedish-Syrian diaspora.
The purpose of the roundtable was to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of market conditions, risks, and possible ways forward for economic recovery in Syria, including the role that Swedish companies and Swedish-Syrian entrepreneurs may be able to play over time.
The discussion took place at a moment of growing international as well as Swedish interest in Syria’s economic development. Participants noted that sanctions relief, reopened border crossings, and increased trade flows have created new openings. At the same time, the situation remains marked by significant uncertainty. Security risks, weak institutional capacity, limited financial channels, banks’ over-compliance with regulatory requirements, and the lack of reliable data continue to constrain the prospects for private sector-led recovery.
