Syria has returned to the global economic system after the United States (U.S.) lifted economic sanctions from the country put in place in 1979 after the U.S. State Department declared Syria to be an official State Sponsor of Terrorism.
Damascus has been slowly and steadily reintegrating itself into the modern world since the President Al-Sharaa’s government took charge after now-ousted PM Basha Alassad’s fall in late 2024, who has been sentenced death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa made first ever payment with a visa card in one of the oldest capitals in the world i.e. Damascus in over 15 years.
He was accompanied by the Central Bank Governor Mohammad Safwat Raslan, who described the development as “a new beginning filled with hope.”
Visa has started its operations in Syria in partnership with local entities Fransabank Lebanon and Paymera.
The historic movement of Syria’s reinclusion to the global economic system was recorded on camera.
President Sharaa after having coffee at a local restaurant was asked by a waiter if he would pay with cash or card. In the footage, the president can be seen swiping his Visa card to make the payment.
For ordinary Syrians, this step toward reintegration promises easier international payments and investment, building on recent milestones like Syria’s first SWIFT transfer since the Assad regime’s fall in late 2024.
2026-08-27 18:35:00
