Syria moves to revive key port, border crossings in drive for economic recovery: Official

Rudaw Net

4 days ago

Also in Interview
New electoral system for Syria's parliament finalized, announcement expected soon: Spox
Dialogue with Damascus advancing, not yet 'formal negotiations': Rojava official
Washington should help SDF reach deal with Damascus: Former US diplomat
EU MP urges Turkey to embrace peace talks with PKK
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria is ramping up efforts to revitalize its port infrastructure and border operations, securing major investment deals with global logistics giants, a senior official from the General Authority for Land and Sea Border Crossings told Rudaw. However, significant challenges persist at land border crossings, particularly in areas outside full government control.
In a Tuesday interview, Mazen Alloush, Director of Public Relations at the General Authority, highlighted recent progress in attracting global logistics players. He noted that French shipping giant CMA CGM and Dubai-based logistics firm DP World are now involved in long-term development projects for Latakia and Tartous ports, respectively.
CMA CGM recently secured a 30-year concession for Latakia Port involving an estimated investment of $260 million, while DP World's 30-year concession for Tartous Port is valued at approximately $800 million.
Alloush mentioned ongoing efforts 'with another major international operator' regarding 'a new port operation agreement [that] is expected to be signed in the coming weeks," and pointed to plans to develop the Baniyas Port, 'currently used only for oil shipments, into a commercial port soon.'
The General Authority also oversees ten Free Zones across Syria. According to Alloush, there are "extensive investment plans" in place to modernize and expand these zones into "internationally competitive hubs."
Regarding Syria's land border crossings, Alloush confirmed that 11 out of approximately 20 are currently operational. These include six crossings with Turkey, three with Lebanon, one with Jordan, and one with Iraq. He mentioned plans to reactivate additional crossings, including the al-Tanf-al-Waleed crossing with Iraq and the al-Dabbousiyah crossing with Lebanon.
Border traffic has also increased significantly. "From the beginning of the year until today, we have received over five million travelers through our border crossings - three million arrivals and two million departures,' Alloush stated.
Despite these developments, he acknowledged the ongoing challenge posed by border crossings located in northeastern Syria (Rojava), particularly in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
However, he expressed optimism that the implementation of the key March 10 agreement - signed between Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi to integrate civil and military institutions in Rojava under state control - 'will allow us to assume control' and have all border crossings 'be under unified national administration."
Alloush also addressed the Semalka border crossing with the Kurdistan Region, calling it 'our most strategic crossing,' through which 'a large volume of goods enters Syria.' He further pointed to communication between the Syrian foreign ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding management and coordination of the crossing's operations.
Below is the full transcript of the interview with Mazen Alloush.
Rudaw: How do you assess the current situation of Syrian land crossings? How many land border crossings are currently operating in Syria, and how many are out of service?
Mazen Alloush: Syria has approximately 20 border crossings, of which 11 are currently operational. Some crossings are undergoing work to be brought back into service, while others remain outside the control of the Syrian government.
Currently, we have six operational crossings with Turkey under our control: Jarablus, al-Rai, al-Salameh, al-Hammamat, Bab al-Hawa, and Kasab. With Lebanon, three border crossings are operational: Jdeidat Yabous, al-Arida, and Jousiyeh. Additionally, three other crossings with Lebanon are under maintenance and rehabilitation with the aim of returning them to service.
We also have one border crossing with Jordan, the Nassib crossing. And with our brotherly Iraq, the only operational crossing at present is the Albu Kamal-al-Qaim. God willing, there are future plans to reopen several other crossings. As for those that remain outside our control, they are located in areas governed by the [Kurdish-led] Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
What about the plans for reopening or opening new border crossings? What are your plans?
Regarding the Lebanese borders, since the liberation, we have reopened the Jdeidat Yabous, also known as the al-Masna' border crossing, which remains our most active. Later, in March, we reopened the Jousiyeh crossing in northern Lebanon, and two months ago - just two days before Eid al-Adha - we reopened the al-Arida crossing, which links Tripoli governorate in northern Lebanon with Tartous province in northwestern Syria. In the near future, we plan to begin rehabilitation and maintenance work on the al-Dabbousiyah crossing, located between the two other crossings in northern Lebanon.
As for the border with Iraq, the Directorate of Facilities and Maintenance is currently preparing reconstruction and rehabilitation plans for the al-Tanf-al-Waleed border crossing on the Iraqi side. Work at this crossing will begin in the coming weeks. These are the main crossings we are currently focused on. In the future, pending progress in coordination between the Syrian government and the SDF, we hope to reactivate the crossings in northeastern Syria [Rojava].
How many travelers have passed through Syrian border crossings since the beginning of this year?
From the beginning of the year until today, we have received over five million travelers through our border crossings - three million arrivals and two million departures - across the eleven operational crossings I mentioned earlier. Additionally, after the liberation period, beginning December 8th and up to the start of 2025, an additional half a million travelers crossed into Syria.
You mentioned the al-Qaim crossing with Iraq. What is its current status, and what is the volume of daily passenger and goods traffic?
Regarding the Albu Kamal-al-Qaim border crossing, immediately after the liberation, we deployed our staff to the site. Unfortunately, the crossing had been destroyed and looted, requiring extensive maintenance. We completed an initial phase of rehabilitation and equipped it for basic operations.
For the first six months, it only served Syrian refugees in Iraq who wished to return voluntarily to Syria, as political discussions with the Iraqi side had not yet reached a point where full reactivation was possible. However, in mid-June, we reached a joint decision with the Iraqi brothers to fully reactivate the crossing. Passenger, freight, and commercial traffic has since resumed. Activity is still shy, but it is increasing steadily.
We are now working on expanding and modernizing the crossing by constructing new passenger and customs halls and expanding the facility overall. During the first half of 2025, approximately 35,000 travelers passed through, with 23,000 arriving and 12,000 departing. About 17,000 of those were Syrian refugees in Iraq who returned voluntarily to resettle in Syria.
What about daily movement of goods and commercial exchange?
Honestly, it remains modest - just dozens of trucks per day. The reason is because many traders had shifted to other crossings since this crossing was not operational and considering the condition of the roads leading to it. However, the situation is improving steadily.
Additionally, I would like to highlight that the Iraqi government has provided a significant wheat grant to Syria. For the past two months, around 60 to 70 trucks of wheat enter daily via the Albu Kamal crossing. On top of that, 20 to 30 commercial trucks cross in both directions daily. We expect this number to double by next month, as the crossing continues to develop.
Are there any efforts to reopen the Rabia-Yaarubiyah border crossing?
At this time, the Rabia-al-Yaarubiyah crossing remains outside our control; it is currently held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This also applies to the Qamishli, al-Darbasiyah, and Ain al-Arab crossings. Our most strategic crossing in the northeast is the Semalka crossing with the Kurdistan Region, which is our most important crossing in the meantime, it is also under SDF control.
We, as the General Authority for Land and Sea Border Crossings, are awaiting the implementation of the March 10 agreement signed between [Syrian interim] President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi. Once implemented, it will allow us to assume control and integrate these crossings to thus have the Syrian border crossings be under unified national administration. We have already prepared our staff to administer these crossings and laid out the necessary plans, and we are ready to take over once the implementation of the [March 10] agreement is complete.
Have any discussions taken place between your committees and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) committees regarding crossing management?
No, not yet. Although the agreement was signed [on March 10], the Syrian Democratic Forces have so far tried to evade implementing it, and they continue to place obstacles in its way. No joint plans have been implemented so far.
Of course, more critical issues - such as the army, internal security, and administrative governance - must be agreed upon [between Damascus and the SDF] first. The matter of the border crossings will follow naturally. Until this date, no sessions have been held [between the relevant committees in this regard.] Until those core matters are resolved, we cannot move forward on operational issues like the crossings.
You spoke about the importance of the Semalka crossing. Are there communication channels with the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG]?
Indeed, communication exists between our foreign ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government. However, as a border authority, we do not have direct communication. All coordination with foreign parties is handled through the foreign ministry.
Of course, Semalka is a very important crossing through which a lot of goods enter. But we face a serious issue - there are no official borders between us and the SDF-controlled areas. Many traders bring in goods via Semalka and then attempt to move them into Syrian internal markets illegally. We deal with dozens of smuggling attempts daily by trucks that had primarily entered northeast Syria [Rojava] via the Semalka crossing. These attempts are carried out by greedy traders who are trying to avoid customs duties.
To counter this, we've deployed customs police detachments across Syrian territory - from Manbij in the northwest to the Albu Kamal crossing in the east. These units are constantly seizing smuggled trucks, including from Semalka. Ultimately, we want all crossings to be unified under national control so we can eliminate smuggling and reduce the burden on our forces.
You recently visited Turkey. Are there any updates on the Nusaybin-Qamishli crossing? Is there any coordination with Turkey to reopen it?
Indeed, we have discussed all crossings with the Turkish side. Just two weeks ago, we visited the Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain crossings in the al-Salam Spring area. These two crossings are under Syrian government control but were not previously under our direct administration. We are now working with Turkey to bring them under our full authority.
There are still three other crossings with Turkey-Ain al-Arab, al-Darbasiyah, and Qamishli-Nusaybin, which is the most important. The Turkish side is ready to hand over their side of these crossings, but from the Syrian side, these three crossings are still under SDF control. These five crossings, including al-Yaarubiyah-Rabia and Semalka, will ultimately come under our administration once the [March 10] agreement with the SDF is implemented.
How many active seaports are currently operating in Syria, and which are the most important for commercial shipping?
We currently have two main seaports: Tartous Port and Latakia Port. Both are fully operational and integrated into commercial shipping routes. We have signed international investment agreements for their development.
At Latakia Port, we have signed a major investment contract with [French shipping giant] CMA CGM, one of the world's largest container terminal operators. Two weeks ago, we also signed a significant investment agreement for Tartous Port with [the Dubai-based global logistics and trade giant] DP World. A large technical team from DP World arrived just yesterday to begin rehabilitation planning, and the agreement will come into effect accordingly. CMA CGM is also implementing its part of the agreement in the container terminal.
We are also in talks with another major international operator, and a new port operation agreement is expected to be signed in the coming weeks. In addition to these, we have about eight smaller local ports, including Arwad Island, Ras al-Basit, Ras ibn Hani and others. These ports are dedicated to fishing, ship maintenance, and recreation,
There is also the Baniyas Port, which is currently used only for receiving oil shipments, but we plan to develop it into a commercial port soon.
Lastly, I'd like to mention that the Free Zones in Syria fall under the jurisdiction of the General Authority for Land and Sea Border Crossings. We currently manage ten free zones across the country, including in Damascus, Daraa, Homs, Latakia, and even Idlib and al-Yaarubiyah near the Rabia crossing. We've prepared extensive investment plans for these zones, aiming to transform them into internationally competitive hubs. We also plan to establish several dry ports in locations such as Idlib, Aleppo, and Homs. We have many other plans and agreements that will see light in coming months. We pledge to our people to do everything we can to wheel the country's economy forward and contribute to its recovery.