French Businessman Seeks Gulf Support to Build Bridges Across Syria, Insha'Allah
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah. French entrepreneur Philippe Matiere recently visited Damascus and was struck by the traffic jams, which showed him the need and opportunity to help the recovering nation. He specializes in quickly deploying emergency steel bridges, and during his visit in 2023, the streets were almost empty. Now, there's a new vibrant energy in the city, Alhamdulillah.
Since the political changes last year, restrictions on vehicle imports have eased, leading to more cars on the road and attracting foreign business interest. Last week, Mr. Matiere, along with representatives from 42 French companies, met with President Ahmad Al Shara and senior Syrian officials to discuss rebuilding efforts.
Mr. Matiere hopes to secure contracts to build 37 bridges across Syria, valued at around €180 million. After years of conflict, Syria needs billions to rebuild its infrastructure. However, financing remains a challenge because the government is struggling financially and faces external pressures.
With decades of experience working in the region, including Iraq and parts of Africa and Asia, Mr. Matiere remains hopeful to sign a contract before the year ends. He expects some funding to come from Saudi sources or joint Saudi-French initiatives, as well as from banks like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which had previously frozen funds for Syria.
France has been developing strong relations with President Al Shara, who visited Paris earlier this year. A delegation of French companies, including major firms in shipping, water management, defense, and healthcare, has also been involved in projects supporting Syria's recovery.
Mr. Matiere shared that all his contacts encouraged him to come to Syria promptly because there's growing demand for rebuilding projects. In the meantime, he plans to build a bridge in Idlib at his own expense to demonstrate their capability and commitment.
The delegation's focus was to understand Syrians' reconstruction priorities, especially in restoring essential infrastructure. During their visit, they toured the historic Omayyad mosque with Syrian ministers, including the Minister of Transport, who spoke fluent French.
While warmly welcomed, the group noted that Syria's banking sector needs to fully reintegrate internationally to support development projects. Recent reforms and the first international banking transactions in years are positive signs, but rebuilding the financial system will take time.
Despite years of sanctions, Syria is gradually moving forward with help from various partners. May Allah ease their challenges and bless the efforts to restore peace and prosperity to the Syrian people.
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