Bloudan, Rural Damascus Attempted Arson and Bombing of St. George's Church

Unknown assailants attempted to set fire to and bomb St. George's Church in the town of Bloudan, in Rural Damascus. The attackers broke a church window, sprayed the pews with gasoline, and threw in hemp and two hand grenades- deliberately placed on seats ahead of Sunday's Divine Liturgy.

Miraculously, the grenades did not explode, and the fire extinguished itself before it could spread. Locals are calling it an act of divine protection, as panic and outrage spread through the Christian community following this brazen attack.

This marks yet another alarming escalation in targeted threats against Syria's religious minorities.

Assessing Syria’s current economic situation is challenging due to the limited availability of official government data and inconsistent reporting. While certain indicators show growth, they must be interpreted with caution. Below, we delve into the available facts and their potential implications for Syria’s economic trajectory.

Currency Conditions

On the monetary side, Syria’s black market exchange rate has been relatively stable, ranging between 9,000 and 11,000 SYP/USD, with most recent figures hovering around 10,500 SYP/USD. Compared to an official rate of 12,000 SYP/USD, this relatively narrow and steady gap—by Syrian standards—may suggest some stabilization. While conditions remain fragile, recent patterns do not reflect the hyper-volatility of previous years. source

The Vice President of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce noted that most business transactions are already conducted in dollars to avoid volatility in the Syrian pound. This gradual "dollarization" of the economy reflects a lack of confidence in the local currency, with the Central Bank neither fixing nor actively buying or selling at competitive rates. Critics argue that the Bank’s current policy—focused on liquidity restriction—undermines long-term economic stability by stifling domestic commerce. source

Inflation Trends

The inflation rate in Syria has dropped significantly from 120.6% in early 2024 to 36.8% in the period from March 2024 to February 2025. A report from Syria’s Central Bank attributes this decline to reduced inflationary pressures linked to higher costs, despite prices remaining high relative to average incomes. Notably, inflation for February 2025 was recorded at 15.2%, marking a steep fall from the previous year’s rate of 109.5%. The drop in inflation is likely due to improvements in exchange rates and an increase in available goods. source

Trade and Transport Boom

Syria's agricultural exports have seen a noticeable uptick, with large volumes of fruits and vegetables heading to Gulf countries—particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar—over the past few months. This increase in outbound trade coincides with a marked rise in truck traffic at the Jordanian border and a broader normalization of cross-border logistics. Imports from neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan have also helped stabilize domestic supply and pricing in local markets, improving the availability of goods and easing pressure on consumers. source.1 source.2 source.3

Furthermore, demand for used cars in Syria has also grown, particularly for models manufactured between 2012 and 2024, resulting in a 25% to 50% price increase for certain vehicles in the UAE market. This trend underlines increased cross-border trade activity and rising consumer demand in Syria. source

Fertilizer & Energy Supply

Fertilizer prices have dropped significantly: Urea fell from $850 to $500/ton, and other agricultural inputs have also become more affordable. Medicine prices saw similar declines, in some cases halving. source

In addition, Qatar has committed to supplying natural gas, enabling Syria to generate 400 megawatts of electricity per day, which could help relieve the electricity deficit. source

Industrial & Investment Developments

Syria’s industrial base, which had suffered significant setbacks, is slowly showing signs of renewed activity. Pharmaceutical production is resuming in multiple regions, and cement production has restarted at scale. These developments reflect an attempt to reduce reliance on imports and re-establish domestic capacity in key sectors. source

The Syrian-Jordanian Free Zone has recorded 88 investment contracts since reopening, with over 800 investors awaiting approvals. source

Despite a drop in construction material prices in Deir Ezzor, reconstruction activity remains subdued. A lack of clear policy direction appears to be a contributing factor. source

Consumer Sentiment: Mixed Signals

Commercial areas in major cities appear active, yet merchants continue to report weak sales. This may indicate cautious consumer behavior or limited purchasing power, despite increased foot traffic. source

Opinion: What It Could All Mean

The numbers indicate that economic activity is gradually resuming—trucks are moving, trade lanes are operating, and key inputs are reaching the market. However, this should be viewed as a modest recovery rather than a broad-based expansion. Much of the growth appears to stem from normalization of trade, external energy support, and incremental reforms.

Declining input costs, improving transport capacity, and new investment contracts are all encouraging, but the absence of comprehensive reconstruction and limited consumer activity highlight ongoing fragility. Investment interest exists, but a more stable and transparent framework would be needed for sustainable growth.

Forecast: GDP Growth If Current Conditions Hold

If current conditions continue—no further sanctions lifted, no SDF merger, moderate oil supply restored, ongoing trade growth, and a relatively stable black-market currency—Syria's real GDP growth in 2025 could range between 5% and 10%.

• This estimate draws on multiple sector-level indicators:
• Trade volumes have more than doubled, with border activity and exports to neighboring states increasing sharply.
• Logistics and manufacturing sectors are expanding, particularly in pharmaceuticals and materials industries.
• Agricultural input costs have decreased, potentially boosting yields and profit margins.
• External support in energy supply has improved electricity generation capacity, which can underpin industrial output.
• Investor activity in free trade zones is rising, suggesting a pipeline of medium-term capital inflows.
• Revived production capacity in industrial sectors signals a rebuilding of basic economic infrastructure.
• This estimate also assumes that increased trade and energy inputs translate into sustained supply chains and moderate industrial output.

The agreement is moving forward between the Syrian government and the PKK/SDF militia. Today at 6:00 PM, the first maintenance teams entered the Tishrin Dam in the Manbij countryside east of Aleppo to begin repairing technical faults inside the dam's transformer station. They are awaiting an agreement on a mechanism for evacuating SDF members from inside and handing the dam over to the government, while evacuating it of any military presence (only guards). A civilian administration will oversee it. The timing has not been determined, as there are still understandings.

The prisoner exchange will likely be completed tomorrow, most likely from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, with the evacuation of a new batch of YPG/YPJ Kurdish militia fighters to the Syrian Jazeera region.

Welp seems that the Syrain government will start there move now on these groups, separating them from eachother is the first step.

Apparently he was an SAA soldier who showed up in a video from a massacre like 2011-2011, then apparently joined up with Nusra ? But then left and spent a lot time shilling for Assad , even after Assad he kept shilling but now he stopped like a weak ago and now is shilling for Shara ?

He is behind the "Maher is back to rule the coast rumor" a while back, and spread a lot of fake news like Shara getting captured by the Coastal Insurgency.

Source: https://x.com/barak_twit/status/1908085985247666401?t=lueLXE80qDhWc2O1YfFv7A&s=19

In addition, the forces located and confiscated additional weapons, including mortars and dozens of rockets.