Not Competition but Complementarity": A New Roadmap for" Economic Cooperation Between the Damascus Chamber of Industry and Lebanon's "Irada" Association

Not competition, but complementarity.” With these words, the Damascus and Its Countryside Chamber of Industry and the Lebanese “Irada” Association set a new roadmap to enhance economic cooperation. This took place during a specialized meeting held at the Chamber’s headquarters, where Eng. Mohammad Ayman Al-Mawlawi, President of the Chamber, met with an economic delegation from the Lebanese Business Association for Support and Development (“Irada”), led by Mr. Louai Malas, Chairman of the Board of Directors. The meeting was attended by Dr. Layla Al-Samman, President of the Syrian-Lebanese Business Council and Vice President of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Mouhanad Sharaf, Treasurer of the Chamber, alongside board members Mr. Abdullah Al-Zayed (Secretary), Mr. Osama Al-Hamawi, and Mr. Hassan Daabboul.

 

During the meeting, Mr. Louai Malas highlighted the deep fraternal bonds uniting the two countries, emphasizing that the Syrian market represents a strategic priority for the association. He explained that the stability and prosperity of the Syrian economy directly benefit Lebanon, and vice versa. Malas called for creating favorable conditions to encourage expatriate industrialists to return and contribute to building genuine partnerships that add value to local products, stressing that the primary objective of the visit is economic integration rather than competition. He noted that this bilateral partnership would open vast avenues for accessing markets in the Gulf, Jordan, and Iraq, in addition to leveraging Lebanon’s historic global presence in Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. Malas also presented an overview of "Irada," which was launched in 2013 by ten businessmen and has grown to include over 240 members working collaboratively to support and empower the community through pioneering development programs.

 

For his part, Eng. Mohammad Ayman Al-Mawlawi expressed his hopes for peace, stability, and prosperity in Lebanon and across the Arab world. He stressed that doors and arms remain open to cooperate with neighboring brothers to explore economic partnerships and joint investment opportunities. He expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people in facing their recent hardships and condemned the aggressions targeting them. Commenting on "Irada's" activities, Al-Mawlawi expressed great admiration for their exceptional development initiatives, describing their achievements as a role model.

 

The Lebanese delegation raised several key questions regarding Syria's legal and economic environment, focusing on capital laws, profit repatriation, movement of funds, tax regulations, the investment law and its preferential benefits, electricity tariffs, property protection for industrial facilities, as well as target industries and enterprise sizes for upcoming development projects.

 

In response, members of the Chamber's board explained that the reconstruction industries sector represents the largest and most promising investment opportunity over the next decade. They pointed out that the Syrian economy lost a significant portion of its services sector capabilities over the past 15 years due to difficult circumstances, noting that the flexibility and mobility of service workers made it the most affected by migration.

 

Mr. Hassan Daabboul emphasized that Syrian industrial and commercial sectors urgently require skill development, automation, software solutions, and IT infrastructure to enhance productivity, cut costs, boost competitiveness, and resume exports. He invited specialized Lebanese digital solutions and services companies to capitalize on this investment opportunity and raise partnership levels with the Syrian market.

 

Dr. Layla Al-Samman noted that Syrian industry is undergoing a transition period with challenges stemming from moving from a closed market model to an open market economy. This makes Syrian industrialists in urgent need of corporate restructuring, advisory services, external marketing, and franchising—areas where Lebanese expertise serves as the ideal partner to elevate Syrian products globally.

 

In conclusion, both sides reaffirmed the importance of establishing direct networking channels between parallel business sectors and forming a joint action plan for industrial and service integration. They also proposed organizing a joint business event or exhibition in coordination with the Syrian-Lebanese Business Council to create direct touchpoints between Lebanese companies looking to invest and Syrian counterparts seeking partnerships and advanced services

 

20/8/2026