Damascus Opens IREX 2026
An international forum for real estate development, engineering and construction, IREX 2026, opened in Damascus on 20 October 2026 at the Seven Gates Hotel, drawing more than 200 companies from 11 countries for a two-day program. It is the second edition of the event.
The agenda covers real estate investment, sustainable urban planning, digital transformation, construction and financing technology, and priorities for reconstruction, infrastructure and transport. Arab and international developers were among the participants.
Thirty Billion in Pledges
Organizers said investments announced through the forum reached about $30 billion in US dollars (USD), with targeted development areas of 20 million square meters and roughly 80,000 planned housing units spread across several governorates.
The figures were set against official estimates of a national shortfall exceeding 2 million housing units, a gap organizers described as the central opportunity for regional and international developers entering the market.
A New Real-Estate Law
The gathering coincided with the issuance of a new real estate development law, which the Syrian engineers' syndicate said it had helped draft. Participants linked the forum's timing to the law's aim of governing engineering contracts and raising confidence in the market.
The syndicate urged developers to steer investment toward low-income housing, calling for units priced at no more than $400 per square meter, and said it had signed memoranda with provincial governors to cut engineering-study fees for alternative housing.
Reconstruction Push
Officials framed the event as part of a pivotal reconstruction phase that requires national, Arab and international effort, an attractive investment climate, and a stronger public-private partnership built on a capable domestic contracting sector. One speaker stressed the need to move from showcasing opportunities to delivering completed projects.
The forum follows a first edition held in Damascus in November 2025, which organizers said drew more than 1,320 participants and over 140 companies representing more than 12 nationalities.