START Trust Fund Agreed for Syria's Recovery and Rebuilding

Agreement on the Fund

The Syrian Arab Republic and the World Bank Group announced in a joint press statement that they agreed to establish the Trust Fund for Syria's Recovery and Rebuilding (START).

Separately, Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnieh and Central Bank of Syria Governor Mohammad Safwat Raslan discussed with a World Bank delegation the completion of preparations for a multi-donor trust fund supporting recovery and rebuilding.

Cost Estimate

Economic analyst Samer Kaakarli told Al-Ikhbariah that the cost of rebuilding is estimated at about USD 216 billion, according to World Bank estimates. He added that the fund cannot cover this cost on its own.

The Fund's Role, per the Analyst

Kaakarli said the fund's value lies in mobilising and coordinating efforts among donors and financiers to support urgent recovery as a step toward rebuilding. He identified two aspects of its importance:

• Reintegrating Syria into international financial institutions, alongside its return to the Arab group at the International Monetary Fund.
• Drawing on the institution's broad experience in preparing projects, offering economic perspectives and ensuring oversight and transparency standards, which he described as a priority for foreign investors.

He noted that the fund will pool grants, including those from the Netherlands and Norway, and coordinate them centrally, which in his view prevents fragmentation.

The Analyst's Outlook

Kaakarli said he does not expect works to begin immediately after the agreement is signed, but considered it likely that financiers and experts would appear on the ground in the very short term, which he said would reassure donors that their funds are directed to the right place. These are the analyst's views, not confirmed outcomes.