Syria has announced the creation of a new, dedicated investment arbitration centre within the Syria Investment Authority (“SIA”), signalling its commitment that Syria is an arbitration‑friendly environment as the country moves through post‑conflict reconstruction. During his recent visit to London, Mr Talal Al-Hilali, the Director General of the SIA, met with Hogan Lovells to discuss the initiative and Syria's arbitration landscape. The SIA Arbitration Centre aims to provide an independent, efficient forum for resolving investment disputes in line with global standards and best practice. Its establishment reflects Syria's renewed commitment to providing investors with the comfort that Syria is as a jurisdiction open for business and investment.
“Syria stands with the investor”: Syria launches new investment arbitration centre
The Syrian Investment Authority (“SIA”) has announced the creation of a new arbitration centre in Damascus (“SIA Arbitration Centre”), marking a major institutional milestone in Syria's evolving post‑conflict investment landscape. Launched as the country moves through an intensive reconstruction phase following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the SIA Arbitration Centre is expected to function as a specialised forum dedicated exclusively to investment disputes – designed to support an emerging investment economy.
The SIA Arbitration Centre's establishment will benefit from the support and advice from distinguished practitioners from across the Arab world, with a high level, internationalised expert committee, combining internationally recognised advisers and regional specialists from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, the UAE, and Jordan, together with a national legal team of senior Syrian judges and practitioners to advise on the SIA Arbitration Centre's charter.
The establishment of this SIA Arbitration Centre reflects a key policy choice of Syria: to build an arbitration centre which is firmly rooted in Syrian law while aligned with international arbitral standards. For investors, the message is clear – Syria is open for business, and its investment architecture is being designed to reflect globally recognised best practice.
“Syria stands with the investor”
Since the collapse of the Assad regime, Syria’s transitional government has embarked on an ambitious programme of economic reconstruction. Foreign and regional investment has rapidly become a central priority, with the past year seeing a wave of high‑value project announcements across infrastructure, logistics, telecommunications, energy, and broader industrial development. This surge in activity has been further buoyed by the lifting of sanctions across the UK, EU, and US, opening space for renewed investor engagement. Over the last year, Syria has already secured multi‑billion‑dollar memoranda of understanding with international partners, including approximately USD 14 billion in strategic infrastructure and power‑sector commitments.
Although the SIA Arbitration Centre’s charter is still under development, Mr Talal Al‑Hilali, Director General of the Syrian Investment Authority, has emphasised that its governance model will rest on neutrality, procedural clarity, professional case management, and – above all – independence.
Mr Al‑Hilali emphasised these points during his recent visit to London, in which we met with him at both at a House of Lords reception hosted by the Syria Britain Business Council, and at our offices. While discussing the SIA’s vision and Syria’s new Investment Law No. 114, which was enacted last year and draws on international best practices adapted to the Syrian context, Mr Al‑Hilali told us: “We stand by the investor in Syria. They will be protected by Syrian law. And where international law applies, we will stand by it.”
This commitment will be central to investors assessing opportunities in Syria.
A Turning Point for Syria's Investment Climate
Of course, Syria is not entering the arbitration arena from ground zero. The country's existing treaty commitments – including ratification of the New York Convention shortly after its inception in 1958 and accession to the ICSID Convention in 2006 – provide a meaningful legal foundation.
However, Syria under the previous Assad regime was renowned for its legacy of opaque decision‑making and limited institutional capacity, with a historical practice of centralised, politically influenced dispute resolution. Previously, investment relationships were shaped by patronage networks and executive influence, and dispute resolution mechanisms were highly politicised.
The new SIA Arbitration Centre marks a decisive departure from the past. It illustrates the transitional government's commitment to institutional independence, predictability, and rule‑of‑law‑oriented dispute resolution mechanisms. This aligns with broader economic policy objectives: rebuilding trust in legal institutions and signalling that Syria's future investment framework will not mirror the patronage‑driven environment of its predecessor regime.
It is precisely in this context that the establishment of the SIA Arbitration Centre is a foundational reform. It signals a shift toward a rules‑based investment climate – one where disputes can be resolved predictably and in line with international norms familiar to global investors and multilateral development actors.
This strengthening of the arbitration landscape in Syria is further emphasised against the backdrop of the recent reactivation of ICC Syria's Commission on Arbitration, indicating a clear momentum within Syria to promote the country as an investment and arbitration friendly jurisdiction. This is key to increasing the attractiveness of Syria as an investment hub, providing comfort to investors that if disputes do arise, there is an independent, impartial, and efficient mechanism for resolving disputes.
Looking forward
For investors evaluating opportunities in Syria's reconstruction and economic transition, the creation of the SIA Arbitration Centre represents a significant and promising development. It signals a clear institutional commitment to transparency, predictability, and alignment with international standards. Of course, the SIA Arbitration Centre's real value will be revealed once it becomes operational, and once it is clear how arbitral awards will be treated in terms of enforcement.
However, what is clear is that Syria's transitional government is focussed on rebuilding an arbitration ecosystem which protects investment and promotes the resolution of related disputes in line with international best practice. Mr Al-Hilali has, in that respect, emphasised that decisions will be upheld consistently and insulated from political influence.
If you are considering investing in Syria or would like to discuss any aspect of this article, please reach out to us. Our team has extensive experience navigating evolving legal landscapes, including in post‑conflict and transition‑economy jurisdictions. As Syria continues to rebuild its investment framework, including through initiatives such as the SIA Arbitration Centre, we are well placed to support clients in assessing risk, structuring investments and preparing for potential dispute‑resolution scenarios, particularly given our role as a founding member of the Syria Britain Business Council.
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