A World Bank Group delegation led by Dr. Ousmane Dione, Vice President for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP) region, visited Damascus on November 19, 2025, to advance discussions on supporting Syria’s development priorities and recovery efforts. The delegation met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, and Finance Minister Mohamad Yisr Barnieh to strengthen partnership, define priority sectors for support, and accelerate program implementation. These meetings built on dialogues from the World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, last October.
During the visit, the delegation acknowledged Syria’s efforts to revive its economy and maintain financial stability under challenging circumstances, highlighting reforms in fiscal and financial policy, public finance management, and tax policy. Dr. Dione emphasized the World Bank Group’s readiness to support Syria’s recovery and inclusive growth, stressing a reengagement approach informed by global experience, strategic partnerships, and evidence-based policy advice.
The Bank’s reengagement strategy focuses on providing basic services, strengthening public institutions, enabling transformative infrastructure, mobilizing IDA21 resources, establishing a Multi-Donor Trust Fund, and fostering private sector investment. This approach is tailored to Syria’s evolving needs and aims to deliver scalable results while coordinating with partners to maximize impact.
The delegation also reviewed the Syria Emergency Electricity Project (SEEP), approved in June 2025, which represents the World Bank’s first project in Syria in nearly four decades and forms a key element of initial recovery and stabilization efforts.
Additionally, discussions covered technical assistance opportunities across various sectors, including capacity building for macro-fiscal management, debt resolution, sector diagnostics, and feasibility studies for regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy. The World Bank Group reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Syrian government, partners, and communities to address urgent needs and lay the foundation for sustainable recovery and long-term development gains.
