RIYADH — The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has signed six concessional loan agreements totaling more than $403 million with the Syrian Ministry of Finance, marking a major financial commitment to revitalize Syria’s vital public sectors. Executed under the direct instruction of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the strategic agreements were formalized in Riyadh in the presence of HRH the Crown Prince and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
The multi-million-dollar funding package targets comprehensive post-conflict reconstruction across power generation, public health, municipal infrastructure, emergency management, housing, and administrative digitalization. SFD Chief Executive Officer Sultan Al-Marshad and Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh signed the instruments, establishing a long-term economic partnership intended to rebuild basic public services, enhance living standards, and stabilize essential infrastructure across various Syrian governorates.
Allocating the largest portion of the funding, a $105 million initiative focuses on constructing, rehabilitating, and equipping 25 civil defense centers to bolster disaster management and emergency response capabilities for over seven million citizens. Simultaneously, a $100 million healthcare program will fund the reconstruction, modernization, and equipping of critical strategic hospitals and community health centers, expanding public access to specialized medical care while easing capacity burdens on existing medical facilities.
Energy and municipal utility systems also feature heavily in the developmental framework. The fund earmarked $90 million to restore power generation units at the Aleppo Thermal Power Plant, securing stable electrical supplies for five million residents while invigorating industrial productivity. To address water distribution efficiency, $30 million will finance the procurement and installation of 300,000 smart water meters across multiple regions, directly benefiting an estimated 1.5 million consumers.
Furthermore, a $60 million housing allocation will support the structural repair of up to 10,000 damaged residential units to promote community stability. To modernize fiscal governance, an additional $18 million project will implement an integrated digital transformation system within the Syrian Ministry of Finance, bolstering institutional efficiency and service transparency.
This comprehensive intervention builds upon earlier humanitarian and economic assistance provided by the Kingdom. Through the SFD, Saudi Arabia previously extended two major financial grants to Syria to deliver essential crude oil shipments and fund public sector salary obligations over a three-month period.
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