Syrians celebrating in the streets of Damascus after Ahmad Al Shara was declared 'interim' president. EPA
Syrians celebrating in the streets of Damascus after Ahmad Al Shara was declared 'interim' president. EPA
Syrians celebrating in the streets of Damascus after Ahmad Al Shara was declared 'interim' president. EPA
Syrians celebrating in the streets of Damascus after Ahmad Al Shara was declared 'interim' president. EPA


A new Syria can be built by the dedicated teams I have seen in Damascus


Hamish de Bretton-Gordon
  • English
  • Arabic

February 19, 2025

I have just returned from a week in Syria with the British-Syrian diaspora, who have done much over the past 12 years to keep the flame of hope alive. If smiles and positivity are anything to go by, I for one am overwhelmed by a sense of hope after a few days in Damascus and Homs with the people I’ve been involved with.

This is something I never expected after the years of death and destruction witnessed in the north-west province of Idlib. The old Syrian regime and their Russian backers tried to subjugate the people with gas attacks and a scorched earth policy designed to raze the place to the ground – but they could not put out the fire in people’s hearts for a free Syria.

It was ostensibly the British-Syrian diaspora, from the Syrian British Medical Society (SBMS) and UOSSM (Union of Syrian Medical Charities), who kept the medical facilities in Idlib running, giving the residents some hope and the will to carry on.

They were ably supported over all these years by eminent and some wealthy Syrians, in effect in exile in the UK and Europe, who would often be in north-west Syria using their own money and resources to keep the lights on and put food in people's mouths as [removed president Bashar Al] Assad and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin tried to kill them.

Women sit on a bridge on the outskirts of Homs, Syria, as the country begins to rebuild. AP
Women sit on a bridge on the outskirts of Homs, Syria, as the country begins to rebuild. AP

The revolution that toppled the old guard in Damascus grew out of north-west Syria, and the interim President Ahmad Al Shara, though once an extremist, now appears to be a viable leader who seems to be steering the new Syria into a path to become a moderate, secular and democratic country, which it once was in the mists of time before the Assads.

The Syrians I know, some very close to the new team, tell me they are the real deal, but Al Assad and Putin have bankrupted the country and most immediately Al Shara needs money and advice to keep the mechanics of government moving.

Those of us in Iraq in 2003 saw what happened when the Saddam regime was deposed and the government ministries were folded, causing disaster, and allowing the extremists to develop and almost fatally destroy the country.

This must not be allowed to happen in Syria. Britain is uniquely placed through the British-Syrian diaspora to make a real difference, and opening the British embassy in Damascus cannot happen soon enough.

There may not be a grand building readily available, I’m sure one could be sourced very quickly. I urge the FCDO to take a "bit" of risk with their own, no doubt extensive and elongated threat assessments, but I gauge as one who knows a bit about this place and a bit about security and protection, that if we use the usual "over-abundance" of caution we may miss this fleeting opportunity to stabilise this place.

If we do miss it, expect more threats to the UK itself. I visited the new Syrian Health Ministry, which would like to replicate what SBMS and others did in north-west Syria across the whole of the country.

In the same vein, they have asked the White Helmets, the civil emergency teams set up with British government funding and by the likes of former British Army officer James Le Mesurier, to now run the emergency services countrywide.

Syrian Civil Defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, marking the second anniversary of the February 2023 earthquake. EPA
Syrian Civil Defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, marking the second anniversary of the February 2023 earthquake. EPA

Of course, this part of the Middle East is a tinderbox at the moment, with Israel to the south and Lebanon to the west, but at least with the demise of the Russians and Iranians, Syria is now being run by Syrians and not by tyrants and dictators who are out for all they can get.

The Labour government in London still appears to bear the scars of the disastrous Iraq invasion of 2003, and its inexperienced team seem to confuse what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan as a possible blueprint they do not want to replicate in this place.

But I can assure them, that as one who has spent considerable time in all three countries at the worst of their times, the Syria today is different and can, if we act quickly and decisively, be put on the path to a much brighter tomorrow.

The new government in Damascus does not need us to tell them what to do. They know what they want to do, but they want and need our advice and resources to ensure they can do it.

  • Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a former British army officer who has written extensively about Syria and visited the country regularly over the past decade
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Freezer tips

  • Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
  • If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
  • Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
  • The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')

Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')

Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Generation Start-up: Awok company profile

Started: 2013

Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev

Sector: e-commerce

Size: 600 plus

Stage: still in talks with VCs

Principal Investors: self-financed by founder

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

'Midnights'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Taylor%20Swift%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Republic%20Records%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE

First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC

Bahrain%20GP
%3Cp%3EFriday%20qualifying%3A%207pm%20(8pm%20UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESaturday%20race%3A%207pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETV%3A%20BeIN%20Sports%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars 

Correspondents

By Tim Murphy

(Grove Press)

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

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%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Normal People

Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
 

Updated: February 19, 2025, 7:12 PM