Ministry Reviews Highway Rollout
Syria's transport minister met on 3 September 2026 with the two companies awarded a contract to rebuild the road corridor linking Damascus, Palmyra, and Deir ez-Zor, reviewing the steps needed before work can begin. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Transport in Damascus.
The scheme carries an estimated value of about 300 million US dollars (USD) and covers the rehabilitation and development of two main routes along with a number of secondary branches.
A Corridor Across the Country
The works span the Damascus-Palmyra route and the Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor route, connecting the capital in the west to the central desert and on to the eastern governorate on the Euphrates. Secondary branches are to be built alongside the two main axes.
The corridor is one of the country's principal overland links between its western population centers and the resource-rich east.
Saudi and Syrian Partners
The contract was awarded on 19 August 2026 to a Saudi company and a Syrian company working jointly on the project. The pairing brings Gulf capital into one of the larger road programs advanced this year.
Procedures Before Groundbreaking
The minister said the parties must complete the required steps in line with applicable laws and regulations before implementation starts, and called for continued direct coordination to finalize the remaining requirements.
He said the ministry would work on "providing the necessary facilitations within available capacities" to help accelerate the start of construction.
Part of a Wider Rebuild
Road rehabilitation has become a visible strand of the reconstruction agenda, with damaged intercity highways weighing on freight and travel between governorates. Restoring the eastern corridor would shorten the journey between Damascus and Deir ez-Zor and ease the movement of goods across the country.