On the Sidelines of "Food Syria": Damascus Chamber of Industry and Tripoli's BIAT Discuss Economic Partnership and SME Support

On the sidelines of the "Food Syria" food industries exhibition, which launched on Saturday, July 26, 2026, at the Fairgrounds in Damascus, Eng. Mohammad Ayman Al-Mawlawi, President of the Damascus and Its Countryside Chamber of Industry, along with several board members, met with a delegation from the Business Incubation Association in Tripoli (BIAT), headed by Mr. Nasri Moawad, alongside members of the Board of Directors of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting aimed to establish a genuine economic partnership and integration between the business sectors in Lebanon and Syria.

 

During the delegation's visit to the Damascus and Its Countryside Chamber of Industry, Moawad emphasized that the visit reflects the institution's experience spanning over two decades in supporting entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This experience is grounded in precise scientific studies prepared in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy, aiming to revive and upgrade Syrian companies to regain their regional and international presence. The head of the delegation revealed the necessity of working to find innovative financing mechanisms to support projects—especially female-led enterprises—through programs and loans where supporting organizations absorb the interest, obligating industrialists to repay principal interest-free, as well as activating crowdfunding platforms. He also reviewed the outlines of a strategic development project in cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP) and international donor entities.

 

The project relies on a comprehensive market assessment across several Syrian governorates through the field partner, "Sanad Youth" Foundation, focusing on agriculture, food industries, and textiles. It targets training around 3,000 young men and women in advanced skills such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation, while providing paid employment opportunities for a specific period. He noted that nearly 70% of the project's preparation steps have been completed and field work has commenced.

 

For his part, Rami Saigh, Director of the Association, reviewed its experience since 2006 in supporting and developing SMEs and startups in Lebanon, calling for the transfer of these experiences to build an integrated pivotal business model within Syrian industrial chambers. He explained that the association works on providing one-stop-shop services in cooperation with chambers of commerce and industry to facilitate import and export transactions, alongside establishing business incubators to support early-stage ideas and startups. Saigh stressed the importance of combining administrative and technical support with providing the necessary tools and funding for new beneficiaries to ensure their sustainability and market share acquisition, expressing the association's readiness to place its team of technical experts at the service of joint cooperation.

 

Eng. Mohammad Ayman Al-Mawlawi welcomed the delegation, considering the visit a strategic extension of the previous Memorandum of Understanding signed in Lebanon with the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He reaffirmed the Chamber's keenness to build a real partnership to transfer the expertise of "BIAT," which boasts a rich track record and tangible successes spanning nearly twenty years in supporting and empowering SMEs in Lebanon. This will serve to uplift the local business environment, support industrialists, and enhance SME performance to achieve mutual interests and benefit both countries.

 

In turn, members of the Chamber's Board of Directors praised this initiative, reaffirming their commitment to collaborative work and to forming a follow-up committee and an effective task force to ensure sustainable results. They also noted that the outcomes of the "Industrial Solutions Lab" organized by the Chamber resulted in important strategic recommendations and decisions, most notably focusing on research and development (R&D) and providing real workspaces for the private sector to unleash its innovative capabilities and build future visions. They emphasized that the visiting delegation is closest to and most understanding of the business landscape in Syria, making networking and integration between both sides an essential step toward building upon successful initiatives and pushing to prioritize and empower the industrial sector on the ground.

 

The meeting was attended on behalf of the Damascus and Its Countryside Chamber of Industry by: Mr. Ghassan Al-Kasm and Mr. Moataz Tarabichi (Vice Presidents); Mr. Abdullah Al-Zayed (Secretary); Mr. Adham Al-Tabbaa (Treasurer); Mr. Raeef Al-Sbeai and Mr. Karim Al-Khoja (Bureau Members); Eng. Wafaa Abu Labdeh, Mr. Osama Al-Nann, and Mr. Iyad Beitinjaneh (Board Members); and Mr. Wasim Saad (Chamber Director)

 

28/7/2026