Saudi Arabia and Qatar have announced that they will jointly pay back Syria’s arrears to the World Bank, a move that will allow the World Bank to resume its operations in the war-torn country after a 14-year suspension.
In a joint statement, the Finance Ministries of Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they will commit to “settling Syria’s outstanding arrears to the World Bank Group, which is around $15 million,” in line with the two countries’ efforts to support and accelerate the recovery of Syria’s economy.
The announcement came after a High-level Roundtable on Syria on the margin of the 2025 World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings, held in Washington from April 21-26, 2025.
The statement said that this commitment will “pave the way for the World Bank to resume support and operations in Syria.” It will also “unlock Syria’s access to financial support in the near term for the development of critical sectors, as well as technical assistance that will contribute to institutional rebuilding, capacity development, and policy formulation and reform to drive development.”
Moreover, Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged regional and international financial institutions to resume and expand their engagement in Syria’s development “to improve the lives of the Syrian people and realize their aspirations for a future marked by opportunity and well-being, contributing to the broader stability and prosperity of the region,” the statement added.
In response, Syria expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia and Qatar for their support in paying back the country’s debt to the World Bank, reported the Syrian news agency SANA.
“This step reflects a shared commitment to supporting the Syrian people and alleviating their economic burdens. It also opens the door for activating cooperation with international institutions to serve the path of recovery and reconstruction,” Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
