Damascus, SANA-President Ahmad al-Sharaa inaugurated the 62nd Damascus International Fair 2025 this evening, under the slogan “Syria Welcomes the World,” at the new exhibition grounds in the Damascus countryside.
“The Levant is famous for its historical industries, including metals, textiles, food, and tourism. It was a strategic center for trade and industrial investment for several countries, and its industrial products reached all corners of the world, especially those industries that carry the culture and civilization of the land.” President al-Sharaa said.
President al-Sharaa said, in a speech during the opening ceremony: “Throughout its commercial history, the Levant has always occupied prestigious positions among the countries of the world. Its important location has given it distinction in the services it provides and the care it provides, which has made it a safe environment for the safety of commercial caravans. It has been a vital, prosperous region on the trade caravan route between the East and the West.”
President al-Sharaa continued: “Despite all the wars and ambitions that have befallen this land, it has maintained its status and its craftsmanship, which have been imprinted on its people and society. Agriculture, industry, and trade, along with the supply chains and services that connect them, are not just passing professions in Syria, but rather the ambition of a people and the culture of a society.”
President al-Sharaa stressed that with the resounding victory achieved for the people of Syria, and with the fall of the former regime, Syria has returned, and its lovers, its people, its heroes, and the heirs of its glory have returned. They have all returned to rebuild it and to reconnect what was severed from its history, and the people have returned to draw from its goodness.
“Today, since the moment of liberation, the new Syria has made security stability and economic development its priorities. It has laid out plans to increase agricultural and industrial production rates, and planned for the return of displaced persons and refugees. Services have gradually begun to improve, including the provision of electricity, water, medical services, and others. Wage and salary rates have doubled, and the investment law has been amended to attract local and foreign investments.” President al-Sharaa said.
President al-Sharaa added: “A comprehensive process is also underway simultaneously to reform the judiciary and develop education, to protect a safe environment for investment and provide it with the necessary human resources, as well as a broad process to reform the monetary and banking sector. The efforts of Syrian diplomacy to restore Syria’s relations with the world are not hidden, and how it has begun to be liberated from the sanctions and restrictions that oppress it. Waves of refugees returning to their homeland have begun to flock to Syria, carrying what they have acquired in terms of knowledge and experience, resources and capabilities, with which they are building their country and contributing hand in hand to the renaissance of modern Syria.”
President al-Sharaa concluded his speech by saying: “Today, we gather here in the first edifice of its kind that the region has known, in the oldest inhabited capital in history, to revive an aspect of our Levant’s ancient history and its long-standing economic legacy, and together, to open a new, bright page, entitled: the Damascus International Fair.”
For his part, Mohammad Hamza, Director General of the General Organization for Exhibitions and International Markets, said: “From Damascus, we proudly announce the launch of the 62nd Damascus International Fair, as a gateway for Syria to reconnect with the world.”
He pointed out that the people of Syria are people of training, craftsmanship and trade, and they are masters of this art, so they made the markets of the Levant the most important stations for exchange and commercial trading in the world. However, Syria went through an era under the authority of the defunct regime, strange to its history, in which souls changed, ambitions diminished, and the country was transformed, due to policies of oppression, tyranny and corruption, into a country that repels investment, capital and creative people.
He added that this is the first edition following “the fall of the former regime and the liberation of Damascus,” considering it “a new chapter in Syria’s relationship with the world.”
Saudi businessman Issam al-Muhaideb said: “We came to beloved Syria, the cradle of civilizations that illuminated the paths of knowledge for humanity, to affirm the deep bonds of brotherhood between our two nations—leadership and people alike—and that Syria’s present is a testament to its ability to rise again.” He added that the fair represents “a promising platform for strengthening partnerships and exchanging expertise.”
Turkish Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat conveyed greetings from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, affirming his country’s support for Syria’s new path after December 8.
He said: “We have deep historical and social ties with the Syrian people, and we will offer all assistance to the Syrian government to help Syria rise after years of war.” He emphasized that rebuilding Syria is a priority for Turkey.
Saudi Assistant Minister of Investment Abdullah al-Dubaikhi conveyed greetings from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, expressing his joy at being in Damascus.
He revealed that Saudi participation continues the previously signed economic agreements with Syria worth 24 billion Saudi Riyals, and that new agreements in sectors such as energy will be signed soon. He affirmed that “Syria will not only welcome the world again—it will inspire the world again.”
The opening ceremony was attended by Arab and foreign ministers, diplomats, businessmen, and religious, cultural, and artistic figures.
More than 800 local and international companies from 20 Arab and foreign countries are participating in the exhibition, which covers an exhibition area of 95,000 square meters.
MHD Ibrahim
