DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- As Syria takes tentative steps toward post-war reconstruction, hundreds of local and international companies have converged in Damascus to explore what many describe as a vast opportunity amid a daunting challenge -- reviving the country's shattered infrastructure.
The International Expo for the Reconstruction of Syria, "IMAR 2025" or "Rebuild 2025," opened this week at the Damascus Fairgrounds with the participation of 260 companies from 23 countries, sponsored by Syria's authorities of economy, industry, energy, and public works.
The event serves as a strategic platform for economic cooperation and investment, highlighting new projects and plans tied to the country's long-delayed reconstruction phase, with a focus on energy, industry, construction, and infrastructure.
For many exhibitors, the destruction that crippled Syria's cities, utilities, and transport networks also represents a rare opportunity to contribute and invest.
"Syria is a country that has been devastated over the past 15 years. It has suffered major problems in terms of infrastructure. The current situation presents an opportunity, because Syria today has zero services. That's where we see the chance, to be a key supplier of materials for the country's infrastructure rebuilding," Mustafa Al-Baroudi, vice president of sales and marketing at Saudi Arabia's Electric House Company, told Xinhua.
Mohammad Nour Alrae, a chemical engineer at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Ceramics Company, noted that local factories would struggle to meet the demand of the extensive reconstruction. "There's a real opportunity for Saudi manufacturers, as neighboring producers with large capacities, to help cover Syria's market needs," he said.
"This is an opportunity for all companies, not just ours. Construction materials and reconstruction materials are the foundation of this expo -- it's a reconstruction expo," Suhayb Ziyad Abualraqia, manager at Saudi Arabia's Flat Glass Company, told Xinhua.
While the Syrian authorities hope to draw in international partners to speed up reconstruction, experts say long-standing sanctions, financing restrictions, and logistical gaps continue to complicate large-scale investment.
"For us, the challenges are the long distance, the difficulty of transporting goods, and the border and customs procedures," Alrae pointed out.
Al-Baroudi said for them, the biggest challenge is the country's lack of basic services and poor infrastructure, which is a main obstacle to any investment.
An estimated 70 percent of Syria's electricity generation plants have been partially or totally destroyed, leading to an 80 percent loss in total power generation capacity, according to an assessment by the United Nations Development Programme in February. The conflict also has left roads, railways, and ports significantly damaged, disrupting transportation and logistics networks.
Yet amid cranes, scale models, and construction plans at the fairgrounds, optimism prevails. As one exhibitor noted: "Syria's roads may still be rough, but rebuilding them is where the future begins." ■
