The Syrian crisis: possible partners and potential cooperation

30 December 2020

Last month, Syria received financial assistance from the UAE. At the moment, the country is in a crisis situation. However, cooperation with a number of states can help the Assad regime to restore the economy

Last month, a Syrian plane loaded with dollars landed at the Al-Mazzeh military airbase near Damascus. It came from the United Arab Emirates, and according to international news agencies, Bushra al-Assad, the sister of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was responsible for the delivery.

Bushra al-Assad is the widow of former Syrian intelligence chief Assaef Shawkat, who was killed in an explosion in 2012. She is also a close friend of Dahi Khalfan, the commander of the Dubai Police and the man in charge of the country's internal security.

After the plane landed, soldiers of the Presidential Guard delivered the cargo to the Central Bank of Damascus and a few days later the bank began to introduce dollars to the market in order to stop the collapse of the Syrian pound, which is now close to 3000 to the US dollar.

According to Western and Arab media reports, the Emiratis are not limited to financial assistance to the Assad regime alone; they are also training Syrian pilots and intelligence officers on their territory. This training is contrary to American law, known as Caesar's Law, which prohibits cooperation with the Assad regime in any area.

So far, it has been known about the vast amount of aid that has come and continues to come from Iran. Since 2011, between $ 30 billion and $ 100 billion have been transferred to the country through credit lines, direct money transfers, and oil supplies. However, the money is not spent on maintaining the standard of living of the country's residents.

Most consumer goods are sold by state-owned trade agencies, which act as a competitive element in the market. A study of the gaps between humanitarian needs and actual funding, conducted by the Syrian website Enab Baladi, found that of the $ 3.4 billion needed for humanitarian funding, only about $ 1.9 billion came in. The largest gap is observed in the field of food security.

The national budget for 2021 totals $ 2.7 billion, which is about 83% less than the 2011 budget and is the lowest figure in the last decade. About a third of the amount is intended for assistance and subsidies, while the other significant part is intended for the payment of wages.

The only current allies for Syria may be the Gulf States, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which could consider the crisis in Syria as a possibility of Assad's return to the political life of the Arab world.

Perhaps the aid that Assad is receiving from the Emirates is part of the same plan that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will later join to improve relations with the United States. In addition, Syria can find a partner in the person of Russia, which will benefit from the restoration of the legitimacy of Assad's rule, his position in the Arab world and in the international arena, which would contribute to the resolution of the crisis.