Make Syria Great Again: Syrians celebrate lifting of US sanctions

Joy in Damascus after Donald Trump's announcement

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For the first time in more than half a century, posters of a US president were raised in the streets of the Syrian capital – not in protest, but in celebration.

At the Umayyad Square in central Damascus, Syrians celebrated late into Tuesday night following the announcement that the US will lift sanctions on the country’s shattered economy.

Drivers honked horns and placards of US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were hoisted high as Syrians poured into the streets in scenes of unrestrained jubilation.

Crowds danced well into the night, chanting “We love you, Trump!” in a pointed echo of the regime-era slogans once directed at the now-deposed Bashar Al Assad.

“It feels just like the day the regime fell,” taxi driver Mohamed Dibou told The National. “The future looks very optimistic. After so much pain and after everything we have endured, we can finally breathe. President Trump is very humane, we love him.”

Celine Kasem, a Syrian activist and researcher, echoed that feeling, saying it was “the second best day since December 8“, in reference to the day Mr Al Assad fled the capital last year.

Mr Trump announced on Tuesday the lifting of sanctions that were imposed after Mr Al Assad's violent crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011.

The sanctions have presented a significant challenge to the country's new leaders following the toppling in December of Mr Al Assad, who had ruled Syria through 14 years of civil war.

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Mr Trump said at an investment forum hosted by Saudi Arabia at the start of his tour of Gulf states. “It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off. Good luck Syria, show us something very special.”

For many Syrians, the sanctions became a tool of collective punishment. While initially aimed at regime officials and entities, they spiralled into a complex web of restrictions that stopped trade, froze banking systems and made it nearly impossible for ordinary people to access medicine, rebuild homes or run businesses.

“After more than a decade of siege, we can finally dream again – not of luxury, just of a normal life. A stable job, affordable food, a future,” Ms Kasem said.

Drastic changes

The UN estimates that 90 per cent of the Syrian population live below the poverty line. Syrians struggle with severe shortages of basic goods and services including fuel, electricity and essential medical supplies.

But with sanctions lifted and international companies able to invest or establish a presence, drastic changes to the Syrian economy can be anticipated. Some could save lives.

Syrians light fireworks as they celebrate the lifting of US sanctions in Idlib. EPA

“We couldn’t bring some medical devices into Syria because of the sanctions,” said Naeem Trabzoni, an orthopaedic specialist who recently finished his residency at the Damascus state hospital. “The sanctions weren’t just on Americans. They were also on any companies that dealt with Syria.

“Pharmaceutical and medical companies couldn’t establish an industry in Syria. American medicines couldn’t enter and there were some medicines that weren’t available without American or European licences.”

Mohammad Al Jabi, a civil servant and engineering student, told The National that he was looking forward to the change Syria was about to experience.

“People outside the country are practically living on Mars in terms of technological advancement,” he said. “Meanwhile, in Syria it’s as if we've been living in the Stone Age.”

As soon as Mr Trump's announcement was made, before he met today with President Ahmad Al Shara, the Syrian pound rose about 25 per cent against the dollar, appreciating from about 12,000 pounds to 9,000 pounds.

A source at the Ministry of Industry said the lifting of sanctions was not a complete surprise. “It was expected, we saw it coming,” the source said. “The industrial and economic sectors are ready. The only thing we were missing … the main problem was the sanctions.

There was widespread joy in Syria after the US President announced that sanctions would be lifted. EPA

“We didn’t have access to the international banking system and foreign investors were afraid to invest in a country under sanctions.”

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria has begun to shed its status as a pariah state in the global economy. “Countries from all over the world have shown interest in investing,” the source added. “Just recently, we had visiting delegations from Italy, Germany, all the Gulf countries and Turkey.”

Hopes of a rapid recovery need to be managed, however, the source said, with the economy needing time to bounce back. “Of course, the lifting of sanctions will help,” the source said. “But let’s not forget that this is a country in ruins. It’s not going to be rebuilt overnight. The next step is reconstruction.”

Mahmood Rifai, who owns a small carpentry workshop in the suburbs of Damascus, said the lifting of sanctions has given him reason to stay. “Before, I was thinking of leaving – I couldn’t import tools, couldn’t grow the business,” he told The National. “Now I want to stay, hire more people and build something here.”

Some sanctions will be quicker to lift than others. For instance, the ban on using the US banking system is based on executive orders, which can be reversed by the president, while others require Senate approval.

“This is a significant step forward. Banks won't miss out on the opportunities,” a Syrian banker told The National, while stressing that the final outcome will also depend on the country's stability and security.

Syria's transitional government must now deliver on reforms, rebuild critical infrastructure and create jobs in a shattered economy. For now, Syrians are celebrating a rare victory.

As one placard in central Damascus boldly declared: Make Syria Great Again.