UAE sees record trade with Syria as investment ties deepen

Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Syria more than doubled in 2025, a UAE minister said on Tuesday at a Damascus investment forum that signaled rapidly warming ties between the two countries, Reuters reported.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi told the first Syrian-Emirati Investment Forum that non-oil trade reached a record $1.4 billion last year, up 132% from the previous year. He said the increase opens prospects for further expanding bilateral trade.

How much has UAE-Syria trade grown and why?

UAE-Syria non-oil trade reached a record $1.4 billion in 2025, up 132% year on year. Ties have accelerated since the start of the Iran war, during which Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa repeatedly expressed solidarity with Abu Dhabi after the UAE came under Iranian attack. That political alignment has helped drive a rapid expansion in economic engagement between the two countries.

What investment deals were announced at the Syrian-Emirati forum?

The two-day forum, held at the Presidential Palace in Damascus and attended by Sharaa along with ministers and senior officials from both countries, produced preliminary agreements covering dozens of investment projects.

Sectors covered include tourism, construction, infrastructure, agriculture, aviation, and logistics. Syrian Economy and Industry Minister Nidal Shaar said the two sides had agreed to form a Syrian technical delegation to visit the UAE to develop a comprehensive implementation roadmap for the agreements.

Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emirati real estate giant Emaar, said the company was studying projects in Damascus worth up to $12 billion and projects on Syria's coast worth up to $7 billion. Etihad Airways, the UAE's national carrier, announced on Monday the resumption of flights between Abu Dhabi and Damascus in mid-June. The airline had suspended operations on the route in 2012, following the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.

Why is the UAE deepening ties with Syria now?

The UAE has moved more slowly than Saudi Arabia and Qatar in building relations with Syria's new government, which is led by Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander. A gradual improvement in ties has accelerated since the start of the Iran war, as the UAE came under Iranian attack and Sharaa expressed repeated solidarity with Abu Dhabi.

Anwar Gargash, top diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said in April that Syria was among the most prominent Arab countries that "held a positive stance towards the UAE."

What is Syria's broader push to attract foreign investment?

Syria has been seeking foreign investment to rebuild an economy devastated by more than a decade of war. Most Western sanctions were lifted at the end of last year, opening the door to new partnerships.

Over the past year, Damascus has signed several billion-dollar memoranda of understanding with Gulf investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and has also secured deals with US companies, including an oil and gas deep-water exploration agreement with Chevron.