Syria's Investment Authority, UNDP Discuss Textile Support

Syria's Investment Authority director Ahmad Rawad Ramadan met with UNDP Resident Representative in Syria Melanie Hauenstein to discuss cooperation and coordination on development and investment priorities in the country. The meeting took place at the Authority's headquarters in Damascus on October 5, 2026.

Discussion Points

The meeting addressed the Investment Authority's vision for organizing and developing the investment environment, and strengthening the positioning of Syria as a comprehensive investment opportunity. Discussions also covered support for sustainable development projects and the preservation of existing Syrian industries, particularly the textile industry, including efforts to ensure its continuity and protect the workforce connected to it.

Both sides agreed to prepare a memorandum outlining priority development needs, as a preliminary step toward holding a high-level coordination meeting to explore possible areas of cooperation and support.

UNDP's Role

UNDP is one of the leading international bodies supporting early recovery efforts in Syria. In cooperation with local and international partners, it implements projects across several sectors, including:

• Infrastructure and basic services
• Livelihoods
• Energy
• Technical education

These projects aim to improve living conditions in affected areas, alongside humanitarian efforts carried out by other United Nations agencies.

Textile Industry Needs

In a statement to Al-Watan newspaper, Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry president Mazen Dirwan stated that preserving the textile industry depends on its ability to remain operational and productive. He noted that supporting it extends beyond protecting facilities, impacting a wide chain of jobs and related activities, from production and sewing to transport, marketing, and trade.

Dirwan explained that the textile industry's needs center on developing production capacity, modernizing manufacturing lines, securing production inputs, and reducing operating costs, which would help existing facilities remain operational and improve their competitiveness.

A Competitive, Not Protectionist, Path

Dirwan emphasized the importance of directing support programs toward improving quality, design, marketing, and productivity, alongside helping facilities access modern technology and machinery. He said that protecting the industry does not mean closing the market to imported products, but rather equipping Syrian producers with tools that allow them to compete by lowering costs and improving specifications.

Dirwan added that the continuity of the textile industry sustains a broad economic system connected to it, making support for its production capacity and continuity one of the paths that could help protect jobs and strengthen local economic activity.