The Damascus Governorate and Syria's Ministry of Tourism launched the Qasioun Journey project on 21 April 2026 at a ceremony held at the Damascus Opera House, unveiling plans to redevelop parts of Mount Qasioun as a public leisure and investment site, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Idlbi described the initiative as "the first Syrian project to combine tourism, economic activity, culture and social services," SANA reported. Officials said the project targets more than 7,000 jobs and hundreds of small and medium investment opportunities, spread across several hubs on the mountain overlooking the Syrian capital.
What is planned
Roughly 70 percent of the development is planned to remain free and open to the public, with new electricity and sanitation infrastructure, pedestrian pathways, public seating areas, spaces for handicraft vendors, and an "innovation boulevard" aimed at Syrian youth, according to SANA. Facilities for visitors with disabilities are part of the layout. Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani said the project is "purely Syrian" in design and implementation, with plans to replicate the model in other Syrian governorates.
SANA reported that engineers and workers drawn from the local market are carrying out the works, and that most components are scheduled to open by the end of summer 2026.
Economic framing
Governor Idlbi said the venue is expected to strengthen investor confidence in the capital, linking the project to Damascus's broader push to channel private capital into public infrastructure. Officials did not disclose a total budget figure at the launch, and SANA did not publish an expected visitor capacity or a detailed construction timeline beyond the summer 2026 target.
The announcement was carried in both the Arabic and English editions of SANA, with the Arabic report identifying the location as Mount Qasioun overlooking Damascus and noting that representatives from the Culture Ministry also attended. Neither version addressed security or access management at the site.
Sources: SANA (Arabic), SANA (English).