Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports (GALSP) broke ground on a new freezone project in its Turkey-bordering northwestern governorate Idlib, according to a statement published Saturday. The new freezone — expected to span around 1.1 mn sqm — will include a dry port, as well as specialized commercial and industrial zones. No timeline or investment ticket have been disclosed.

The rationale: The project — which comes amid a Syrian push to attract foreign direct investments in the post-war economy — is set to facilitate access to foreign markets for Idlib’s agricultural and industrial players. The move will also allow local businesses to import raw materials without relying on seaports— trimming costs and saving time, the statement said.

Plus an automotives-focused freezone: The Syrian government has also lined up another freezone project that will focus on car trade and the automotive industry.

REMEMBER- Foreign investors are interested in Syria’s zones: French maritime giant CMA CGM signed on last month to develop and operate dry ports in both the Syrian-Jordanian Joint Freezone and the freezone in Adra, near Damascus. China’s Fidi Contracting also inked an MoU late last month with GALSP to invest in the freezone in Homs’ Hasiya, as well as the freezone in Adra in Damascus. This followed a deluge of investment and operational contracts inked for the Syrian-Jordanian Joint Freezone for the year as of last April, with more than 800 investors reportedly signed up.

ALSO- GALSP has reopened the Al Bukamal border crossing with Iraq, enabling passenger and truck traffic effective 14 June, according to a statement released on Thursday.

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