High-Rises Amid the Rubble in Syria
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader who ousted Bashar al-Assad in 2024, is promoting an investment-driven reconstruction campaign to rebuild the war-torn country and attract foreign capital. He has pitched Syria as a strategic economic hub for the Middle East, engaging with global leaders and showcasing multibillion-dollar development projects. The success of his vision hinges on whether reconstruction prioritizes returning refugees and ordinary Syrians or caters primarily to wealthy foreign investors.
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Argument An expert’s point of view on a current event. High-Rises Amid the Rubble in Syria Who is Sharaa’s investment campaign really for? By Frederick Deknatel, a journalist and nonresident fellow at Century International. Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on October 29, 2025. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 29, 2025. Rania Sanjar/AFP via Getty Images Get audio access with any FP subscription. Subscribe Now ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN April 30, 2026, 2:22 PM On a recent visit to Europe, Syria’s former rebel leader-turned-president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, had a pitch that would have been hard to imagine just a year and half ago.
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