Saudi Arabia signs $403 million in loans for Syria’s reconstruction
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The Saudi Fund for Development has signed six development loan agreements worth more than $403 million with Syria to restore essential services, repair damaged infrastructure and improve living conditions.
The financing covers electricity, water, healthcare, housing, civil defence and the digital transformation of government financial services.
SFD chief executive Sultan Al-Marshad and Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh signed the agreements in the presence of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
The agreements were signed during Al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh on Wednesday, with details reported on Thursday. They implement the directives of King Salman and the Crown Prince.
Restoring power and water services
A $90 million loan will finance the rehabilitation of generating units at the Aleppo Thermal Power Plant, benefiting approximately five million people.
The work is intended to restore generation capacity and provide reliable electricity to residents and public facilities. It will also support economic and industrial activity while strengthening the national grid.
A further $30 million will fund the supply and installation of 300,000 smart drinking water meters.
That project is expected to benefit about 1.5 million people across several governorates by improving the quality and efficiency of water services.
Housing repairs and emergency response
The largest allocation, $105 million, will support the construction, rehabilitation and equipping of 25 civil defence centres across several governorates.
The project is expected to benefit more than seven million people. It will strengthen emergency response and disaster management, including debris removal and management, while helping communities affected by conflict regain stability.
Another $60 million will finance repairs to up to 10,000 damaged homes across Syria, supporting improved living conditions and social stability.
Hospitals and financial services
The healthcare allocation of $100 million will fund the rehabilitation, construction and equipping of hospitals and health centres.
The project will restore essential and specialised medical services, upgrade priority facilities and expand access to treatment while easing pressure on existing hospitals.
More than $18 million will support digital transformation and institutional development at Syria’s Ministry of Finance.
An integrated digital system will be introduced to improve services for users and increase the efficiency and transparency of government financial operations.
The agreements continue Saudi development support through SFD, with a focus on rebuilding infrastructure and improving access to sustainable public services.
In September 2025, Saudi Arabia provided two grants through the fund to supply crude oil and cover part of government employees’ salaries for three months.