UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded the complete and immediate removal of all remaining sanctions on Syria at a Damascus press conference on Sunday.
Guterres welcomed the relief Western governments have already granted, but he insisted the remaining measures “must be removed immediately.”
Why it matters: Lingering international restrictions continue to hamper economic recovery and humanitarian relief efforts across Syria. Consequently, Syrian financial institutions remain isolated from global banking networks, hindering cross-border commercial transactions.
- During his visit, Guterres held high-level diplomatic talks with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa at the presidential palace.
- Guterres welcomed initial sanctions relief from Western governments, acknowledging that these steps opened new possibilities for national recovery.
- However, he asserted that international powers must eliminate remaining measures “immediately.”
Riyadh’s Diplomatic Push
Saudi Arabia moved first among Gulf states to press Washington on sanctions relief, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman brought President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa together in Riyadh in May 2025, a meeting that preceded Trump’s surprise pledge to lift US sanctions. Trump later joked about the encounter: “Oh, what I do for the crown prince.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has since repeated the argument publicly. Speaking in Damascus, he said continued sanctions “will hinder the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people to achieve development and reconstruction.” Riyadh and Doha also cleared Syria’s arrears at the World Bank last year, unlocking financing that sanctions had blocked for over a decade.
Al-Sharaa echoed the same message before the UN General Assembly in September 2025, the first address by a Syrian head of state to the body in nearly 60 years. He asked that sanctions “no longer shackle the Syrian people.” Guterres’ Sunday remarks add UN weight to a campaign Riyadh has led from the start.
A Reconstruction Bet Worth Billions
By the numbers:
- Syria drew roughly $28 billion in investment pledges across 2025; Saudi Arabia alone committed about $6.4 billion.
- Riyadh signed $5 billion in deals last July covering real estate, transport, energy and telecoms.
- A separate forum weeks later added $4 billion more.
- In February, Saudi Arabia unveiled its largest package yet: a $2 billion Elaf Fund for two Aleppo airports, a joint airline with flynas, and roughly $1 billion from Saudi Telecom Company for a fiber-optic network spanning 4,500 kilometers.
- Officials in both capitals framed the deals as proof that sanctions relief is already reshaping Syria’s economy. Still, reconstruction needs dwarf what’s been pledged so far.
The big picture: The World Bank’s October 2025 damage assessment put Syria’s wartime destruction at $108 billion, with full reconstruction could cost up to $216 billion, roughly ten times the country’s entire 2024 GDP.
What’s next: Guterres’ call targets what Syrian officials call the real obstacle: not the sanctions themselves, but the “de-risking” habits of banks and insurers still wary of doing business with Damascus. The EU‘s remaining measures tied to former regime figures run through June 2026, and lingering fear of secondary US penalties continues to discourage trade financing even where direct restrictions have lifted.
Bottom line: Full sanctions relief would let Saudi Arabia’s committed billions move faster and reach further, from Aleppo’s airports to Tartus and Latakia’s ports. Riyadh has bet heavily that Syria’s recovery is achievable — and it’s now pressing the rest of the world to clear the last barriers standing in the way.
Regional Trade Impact
Saudi leadership envisions a fully integrated Middle Eastern economic zone, as Syrian markets offer immense potential for Gulf exporters and manufacturers. However, current financial restrictions prevent companies from executing large contracts. Removing these final hurdles will unlock unprecedented regional trade opportunities.
Ultimately, the remaining international sanctions dictate the exact speed of the national economic recovery. Secretary-General Guterres clearly understands this harsh reality, with Saudi Arabia also recognizing this critical economic urgency today. Global banks and shipping lines need absolute confidence to move capital safely. Therefore, complete sanctions removal remains absolutely essential for Syria’s long-term future prosperity.
