Joined October 2019
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- Followers 5,730
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795 Photos and videos
Benjamin Fève retweeted
New piece on The Syria Dispatch: Gulf and European engagement in Syria should not be read as two versions of the same “international re-engagement.”
The Gulf is competitive; Europe is slower, more conditional, and more politically aligned.
READ: syriadispatch.com/p/competit…
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Visiting the Aleppo Citadel. No need to say how amazing this place is.
Looking forward to the day when more funding is available to preserve and care for it properly.
Grateful to the guides and tourism police who are doing their best to support visitors and protect the site.
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Benjamin Fève retweeted
You were indispensable, my friend, and look forward to our next project together.
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Jun 13
I shared a few thoughts with @Levant_24_ about why I think the Syrian pound continues to depreciate despite sanctions relief, major investment announcements, reconstruction pledges, and the currency's redenomination.
levant24.com/economy/2026/06…
In a few lines, I explained that the SYP’s continued decline is not necessarily a paradox. Sanctions relief and political openings have improved expectations faster than they have improved Syria’s underlying economic fundamentals.
The country still faces a severe foreign currency shortage, while imports remain high, exports remain weak, infrastructure is damaged, and the banking system is not yet fully reintegrated internationally.
Investment announcements and reconstruction commitments can help sentiment, but they do not support the currency until money actually enters the country, projects are financed, and implementation begins.
The same applies to redenomination. It may simplify transactions and symbolically mark a new phase, but it does not by itself restore trust, generate exports, reduce import dependence, or bring in foreign currency.
For Syria, the priority should be to avoid repeating past mistakes: defending an unrealistic exchange rate, relying on administrative controls, maintaining multiple exchange rates, monetizing deficits, or announcing spending increases without credible financing.
What matters now is turning promises into capital... and prioritizing investments that generate or save foreign currency, especially in energy, agriculture, logistics, and export-oriented production.
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Jun 12
It was a privilege to lead this project on the @KShaar_Advisory side of things alongside an exceptional team of colleagues and experts.
A special thanks to Kareem Ahmad, Mulham Al-Jazmaty, Mohamad Ahmad, and Majd Hamad, who led much of the sectoral research, as well as Louay Shnoudi for his invaluable legal expertise. This work would also not have been possible without the efforts of our colleagues supporting design, editing, data collection, and project coordination throughout the process (see our amazing team here:karamshaar.com/about-us/).
The project brought together extensive research, stakeholder consultations, expert roundtables, legal reviews, and engagement with both public and private sector actors to produce what I believe is one of the most comprehensive sets of practical resources currently available for understanding Syria’s investment environment and key economic sectors.
I am proud of what the team accomplished and grateful to everyone who contributed their time, expertise, and insights along the way. The publication of these guides is not an endpoint, but hopefully a useful contribution to the broader conversation on Syria’s economic recovery, investment climate, and future development.
The Doing Business in Syria: Investor Guides are now live.
The guides were developed as part of a U.S. Department of State-funded project, implemented by Creative Associates International and Karam Shaar Advisory Ltd.
The guides cover banking, electricity, oil, gas, real estate, and telecoms/technology.
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Jun 10
Always let your curiosity take over.
I saw the door of Al-Aziziyeh’s Cultural Center open, walked in just to have a look, and ended up attending a beautiful musical evening, “Between East and West,” featuring works from Schubert and Elgar alongside classics from Rahbani.
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Jun 9
Being on the first Istanbul-Aleppo flight gotta be worth a lot of BolBol Points, right @ucurbenipegasus?
#حلب أقرب إلى العالم …
اعتباراً من 09 حزيران الجاري، تبدأ شركة بيغاسوس تشغيل رحلاتها المنتظمة والمباشرة بين #إسطنبول (مطار صبيحة) وحلب، في خطوة جديدة تعزز الربط الجوي بين الجمهورية العربية السورية والجمهورية التركية، وتوفر خيارات سفر إضافية للمسافرين.
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Jun 6
Lebanese will do anything but build a functioning railway system.
🎥 Lancement du projet de réouverture de l’aéroport René Mouawad de Qleyaat, dans le Akkar (Liban-Nord)
Le reportage de @StephBechara et @TeaZiade ⤵️
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Jun 4
Well, I guess I know how I’ll be spending my summer.
This might be the best (and certainly the nerdiest) package I’ve received in a very long time. 📚😮💨
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Jun 1
Another attack ISIS attack on a checkpoint situated a 19-minute drive from the Al-Omar oil field.
alkalimaonline.com/news.aspx…
While American and European energy companies may be interested in opportunities in Syria's oil sector, it will be extremely difficult for them to commit significant capital if the Islamic State continues to demonstrate the ability to operate in and around key energy-producing areas.
Investors can manage commercial, regulatory, and even political risks; persistent security threats are far harder to price, insure, or mitigate.
Without sustained improvements in security (which is already miles better than before) and a complete stop in ISIS activity, large-scale foreign investment in Syria's hydrocarbons sector will remain highly constrained, regardless of sanctions relief or the attractiveness of the underlying resource base.
Feb 21
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack in Raghib, which is situated a 25-minute drive from the Al-Omar oil field.
The Al-Omar field produces some of Syria's most exportable oil, a light, sweet crude; and reached production levels of up to 100,000 bpd in 2010.
As much as we may want to be optimistic about oil majors returning to Syria, no serious investor can ignore this context. Any credible market and risk assessment would flag ISIS activity near core energy infrastructure as a major red flag.
Three weeks ago, I stressed this exact point to @arabnews’s @AnanTello in her article, “What the government takeover of Syria’s largest oil field means for energy security.”
“We must also take into account the fact that the security situation in Deir Ezzor and around the Al-Omar field is not fully contained,” Fève said. “There are still risks from (Daesh) insurgents.”
READ: arabnews.com/node/2631539/mi…
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May 26
Merci @CdricLabrousse 🙆🏼♂️
On ne dit pas assez à quel point @BenjaminFeve est précieux sur la question syrienne.
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May 25
Just recorded a really interesting conversation for the first episode of PRISM Podcast on Syria’s economic recovery, reconstruction, energy politics, refugee returns, and evolving EU–Syria relations.
🎧 The Future of Syria: Economic Recovery and EU–Syria Relations
Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/7HS…
We discussed everything from electricity shortages and banking constraints to reconstruction risks, Gulf investment, the northeast’s political economy, refugee returns, and the challenge of turning political normalization into actual economic recovery people can feel in their daily lives.
A big thank you to Umutcan Yüksel of the European University Institute (EUI) for the invitation and discussion.
We also touched on some themes I’ve been working on recently regarding the gap between macro-level stabilization and the lived economic reality of ordinary Syrians, the risks of uneven recovery, and why implementation (not announcements) will ultimately determine whether Syria’s recovery is real.
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May 24
Worth listening to carefully.
A @muftahmag podcast interview with @ThomasPierret on Syria and the Left.
youtube.com/watch?v=S8tiLGM7…
A wealth of knowledge, as always.
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May 24
I turned the comments from people accusing me of being a spy into a song/video clip because I have a ton of work but felt like procrastinating.
Son tweetimin altındaki bana ajan diyen insanların yorumlarını, eğlenceli bulduğum için bir şarkı/video klibe dönüştürdüm.
Enjoy.🤗
Btw, I love Türkiye and the Turkish language, and if speaking it means I’m a spy, then I’ll gladly accept my promotion to regional intelligence coordinator.
Bu arada Türkiye’yi ve Türkçeyi seviyorum; eğer Türkçe konuşmak ajan olduğum anlamına geliyorsa, bölgesel istihbarat koordinatörlüğü terfisini memnuniyetle kabul ederim.
May 23
Reminds me of last week, when I was buying an ice cream somewhere in Damascus at around 10:30 p.m., and I saw a lady speaking Turkish to the ice cream seller. So I immediately asked her in Turkish, “Are you Turkish? You don’t speak Arabic?”
She replied, “No no I am not Turkish, I am [European nationality].”
I was visibly confused, and asked: “why would a foreigner speak Turkish to buy ice cream in Damascus?” “I just love the language, actually,” she replied.
Still confused, we kept speaking Turkish together for a bit… then the ice cream seller asked me, in fluent Turkish (!), “Are you Turkish?”
I replied, “No, I’m French, but I speak Turkish. What’s going on here with everyone speaking Turkish?”
And there we were: two Europeans and one Syrian speaking Turkish together.
Then… an older guy jumped in behind me, asking me and the lady in… Turkish: “So, are you two Turks?”
“No, but are you?” we replied.
He was like, “No, no! I am Syrian too!”
And that’s how the four of us ended up speaking Turkish together for a few minutes in the middle of Damascus and eating like there was some glitch in the matrix.
Good times. Unfathomable a few years back. Unforgettable today.
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May 23
Reminds me of last week, when I was buying an ice cream somewhere in Damascus at around 10:30 p.m., and I saw a lady speaking Turkish to the ice cream seller. So I immediately asked her in Turkish, “Are you Turkish? You don’t speak Arabic?”
She replied, “No no I am not Turkish, I am [European nationality].”
I was visibly confused, and asked: “why would a foreigner speak Turkish to buy ice cream in Damascus?” “I just love the language, actually,” she replied.
Still confused, we kept speaking Turkish together for a bit… then the ice cream seller asked me, in fluent Turkish (!), “Are you Turkish?”
I replied, “No, I’m French, but I speak Turkish. What’s going on here with everyone speaking Turkish?”
And there we were: two Europeans and one Syrian speaking Turkish together.
Then… an older guy jumped in behind me, asking me and the lady in… Turkish: “So, are you two Turks?”
“No, but are you?” we replied.
He was like, “No, no! I am Syrian too!”
And that’s how the four of us ended up speaking Turkish together for a few minutes in the middle of Damascus and eating like there was some glitch in the matrix.
Good times. Unfathomable a few years back. Unforgettable today.
May 22
I hopped in a taxi in Damascus 🇸🇾 after Friday prayers، and a few minutes into the ride, I noticed the driver had a song playing, one of those tracks by the Turkish singer Sımga.
So I asked him: “Were you ever in Turkey?”
He looked surprised: “How did you know?”
I smiled and said, “You’re playing a Turkish song in the middle of Damascus, what do you mean how did i know?.”
He laughed and told me he’d lived in Bursa for eleven years but the moment the country was liberated, he came straight back, but part of him, he said, never quite left Turkey behind, We both laughed about it, and we even chatted a little in Turkish, (my Turkish language is broken and he mocked me too 😂)
Just last week, on my way to a film studio i was shooting here in Damascus, I was in another cab, a Yalla Go car, and the driver was playing Ibrahim Tatlises, Turned out he used to live in the Beyoğlu neighborhood in Istanbul.
When you walk into any mall here you’ll find Turkish and Ukrainian products filling the shelves, and people genuinely reaching for them.
Tomorrow, the Turkish brand LC Waikiki is officially opening a branch in Damascus. they’ve already put out the announcement.
Many of those who’ve returned home came back with Turkish university degrees or solid professional experience gained there, and they’re building things here with that same organized, structured mindset they picked up abroad.
And let’s not forget the obsession with Turkish dramas، entire families are glued to their screens watching all kinds of Turkish shows, even my own family has their two sacred hours every night, completely reserved for their favorite Turkish series.
Displacement was painful, there’s no doubt about it, but it also carried something with it too:
everyone who came back brought a piece of the world with them, and that’s quietly making its way into new Syria that we all trying to build together.
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May 23
I had also more than a year and a half ago during my first trip to Syria the extent to which Turkish (and Turkey) was popular.
x.com/BenjaminFeve/status/18…
31 Jan 2025
9️⃣ Something that surprised much a lot was just how popular Turkey has become. Though this was always assumed, witnessing it firsthand was striking. The soft power Turkey has accumulated in Syria is immense. Many Syrians—Arabs, not just Turkmens—now speak Turkish, admire Turkey, and express gratitude to Erdoğan for his role in helping Syrians and Syria get rid of Assad. Regardless of how accurate this perception is, Turkey’s influence is undeniable.
There is near-universal agreement that Turkey will play a leading role in rebuilding Syria. Of course, since the unification of Idlib with former regime-held areas, Turkish products have flooded Syrian markets in Damascus.
The U.S., EU, and Gulf countries are sometimes mentioned, but Turkey is always mentioned.
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Benjamin Fève retweeted
May 23
Reminds of Ivan Vazov's trip to Varna in the early 1880s. He struck up a conversation with a local in Turkish only to discover, 10 mins later, the person was Bulgarian. "So why are you talking Turkish to me then?" "Well, you started first Sir".
May 23
Reminds me of last week, when I was buying an ice cream somewhere in Damascus at around 10:30 p.m., and I saw a lady speaking Turkish to the ice cream seller. So I immediately asked her in Turkish, “Are you Turkish? You don’t speak Arabic?”
She replied, “No no I am not Turkish, I am [European nationality].”
I was visibly confused, and asked: “why would a foreigner speak Turkish to buy ice cream in Damascus?” “I just love the language, actually,” she replied.
Still confused, we kept speaking Turkish together for a bit… then the ice cream seller asked me, in fluent Turkish (!), “Are you Turkish?”
I replied, “No, I’m French, but I speak Turkish. What’s going on here with everyone speaking Turkish?”
And there we were: two Europeans and one Syrian speaking Turkish together.
Then… an older guy jumped in behind me, asking me and the lady in… Turkish: “So, are you two Turks?”
“No, but are you?” we replied.
He was like, “No, no! I am Syrian too!”
And that’s how the four of us ended up speaking Turkish together for a few minutes in the middle of Damascus and eating like there was some glitch in the matrix.
Good times. Unfathomable a few years back. Unforgettable today.
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Benjamin Fève retweeted
May 22
Excellent investor guides for #Syria -- kudos to @KShaar_Advisory & @1977Creative for putting them together.
Now it's time for @SecRubio to remove the #Assad-era State Sponsor of Terror designation, which remains a core obstacle to realizing this "chance at greatness."
A year ago, the United States decided to give Syria a chance at greatness by lifting sanctions and opening the door to investment. The results speak for themselves: 18,000 companies registered in Damascus, 1.5 million refugees returned, and billions of dollars in investment pledged.
We are pleased to launch comprehensive Syria Investor Guides – the most detailed publicly available market intelligence report for Syria - signaling American confidence that Syria can be a credible destination for responsible investment, enterprise, and integration.
Real opportunities exist across sectors – electricity, oil and gas, technology, telecommunications, real estate, and banking. American companies with their technological leadership, expertise, and standards are uniquely positioned to fill many of the gaps Syria urgently needs.
These guides outline opportunities for American companies while helping connect Syria to trusted, resilient, and transparent economic partnerships that support long-term prosperity and stability. With smart governance, regional cooperation, and responsible investment, opportunity can become reality.
sy.usembassy.gov/business/
ALT Page from the investor's handbook
ALT The Investor's Handbook
ALT Real Estate Sector Investor Guide
ALT Page from the Real Estate Guide
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May 23
I wrote a short policy memo on how the first EU–Syria high-level dialogue marks a shift from political normalization to the harder delivery phase, and where funding, technical cooperation, and institutional capacity will matter more than diplomatic momentum alone.
What will it take for the EU's political normalization with Syria to materialize?
#Policy_Memo
#Syria_in_Figures
May 2026
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