Mazen Aloush, Director of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation at the General Authority for Ports and Customs, announced that the General Authority for Free Zones signed eight investment contracts today, Tuesday, with four local, regional, and foreign companies. This step aims to place the free zones of Tanf and Ya'aribah on direct trade routes. This move comes to consolidate Syria's position as a pivotal logistical hub driving transit and commercial exchange in the region.
For his part, Aloush clarified in a statement to SANA today, Tuesday, that the total area of the projects, amounting to approximately 625,000 square meters, is distributed between two strategic points on the eastern border strip. Specifically, 500,000 square meters were allocated in the Tanf Free Zone to host advanced industrial complexes and logistical centers, while 125,000 square meters were designated in the Ya'aribah Free Zone to build commercial and service headquarters supporting the flow of traffic across the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Aloush added that the nature of activities covered by the contracts varies to cover vital sectors, most notably the trading of petroleum materials and their derivatives, manufacturing industries, as well as the establishment of warehouses and transshipment services. This creates an integrated operational environment to serve the transport fleet and businessmen. Aloush emphasized that these contracts embody the Authority's vision of transforming borders from mere transit points into economic engines attracting capital, by linking seaports and Syrian crossings with Iraqi and Gulf markets.
He pointed out that extending these links to Turkish and European markets constitutes a fundamental guarantee for enhancing the efficiency of the national economy's infrastructure and leveraging the country's geographical advantage as an indispensable pillar in international supply networks. Earlier, on August 29, Abdul Razzaq Qanatar, Director of Investment at the Syrian General Authority for Free Zones, told SANA that occupancy rates in the free zones have begun to rise, with some areas reaching 100% occupancy after full payment, and others reaching up to 80%, leaving approximately 20% of investment opportunities still available.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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