Turkey deepens its Syria bet with mining MoUs and five upgraded border crossings

Turkey’s wager on Syria for investments and trade is moving forward one step at a time, as both countries make moves on modernizing land trade infrastructure and exploring joint mining and exploration ventures.

#1- A group of Turkish companies, both private and state-owned, will soon explore several mining partnerships after MoUs were signed on Wednesday during Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar’s visit to Damascus. On top of the possible collaborations is a mega phosphate mining and processing project, which Bayraktar said may include “construction of a railway related to the production of phosphates, the development of phosphate fields, the establishment of industrial facilities, and the arrival of this phosphate production to the port.” A group of other Turkish companies, including state-owned TPAO, will also cooperate on seismic surveys, technical geological exchanges, and oil and gas explorations in both onshore and offshore blocks.

Syria is working to revive its oil and gas sector — and American, Turkish, and GCC players are all moving in. Qatar’s International Power Holding and Qatar Energy, the US’ Chevron and ConocoPhillips, France’s Total Energy, and UAE’s Dana Gas have made their moves over the last two years after signing several field development and exploration agreements.

#2- Turkey is upgrading and expanding five of its border crossings with Syria, in a push that aims to accommodate a surge in trade tied to Syria’s reconstruction needs, Sana reports. The upgrades include land-mine clearing and yard expansions to new service buildings. Turkey’s 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria has a total of 12 crossings in addition to some informal or unofficial gates.

Turkey-Syria land crossings are a work in progress: Syria’s customs authority announced it began construction and rehabilitation works at the Bab Al Salama crossing (called the Öncüpınar crossing on the Turkish side) last month. In May, Turkey announced the reopening of the Akçakale crossing, ending a 12-year closure that started after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of Tal Abyad in northern Syria.

The movement of people and goods is picking up between both countries. Turkey-Syria trade increased by 16% during the first seven months of 2026, after recording an increase of 45% last year. About 2 mn travelers out of the 7 mn who entered Syria by land in 1H 2026 came from crossings on the Turkish borders.

Why does it matter? Modernizing Turkey-Syria land crossings is a positive development not just for the two countries, but also for GCC-based and European exporters and importers as we previously reported, providing them with another land route to move products amid geopolitically-driven disruptions to traditional sea corridors in the Red Sea and Hormuz.

Marina West’s clock finally starts

Saudi’s Sumou Holding is officially taking over Bahrain’s Marina West halted development, paving the way for up to 400 buyers to receive payouts after the initial developer announced bankruptcy over 16 years ago, Gulf Daily News reports. The Bahraini settlement committee that has been overseeing the project for the last 11 years finally confirmed the transfer of ownership earlier this month, some nine months after Sumou Holding won public bidding to take over for BHD 19.8 mn (c USD 52.5 mn).

BACKGROUND- The project was first launched in 2007 by developer AAJ Holding, which later froze the project in 2010 citing the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. At least 400 investors from 32 nationalities purchased units in the project through off-plan sales. The project was planned to include 11 residential towers and a five-star hotel.

What’s next: Buyers should get compensated within two months of 9 August. Meanwhile, Sumou Holding is now promising a three-year rebuild with another USD 100 mn in investments once the payout clears.

New players

Another day, another auto supplies manufacturer in Morocco: Chinese auto parts manufacturer Wuhu Sanlian Forging has established a wholly owned subsidiary, Sanlian Technology Morocco, in Morocco’s industrial zone in the north, Mohammed VI Tanger Tech. The launch comes as the company lays the groundwork for a planned EUR 18 mn investment to manufacture electrical and electronic equipment for automobiles and operate in the automotive parts sector.

IN CONTEXT- Morocco has been deepening its auto industrial base by localizing the supply chain that feeds components into final auto manufacturing. A spate of European and Chinese players making different inputs in the auto manufacturing process has been entering the market over the last few years, further cementing its status as a growing automotive production and exports hub despite growing competition in North Africa from Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria.