Contract Awarded to Syrian-Saudi Consortium
Syria's General Roads Corporation announced on 20 August 2026 that it had awarded a contract to rehabilitate and upgrade the Damascus-Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor road axis to a consortium formed by Syrian firm Al-Kawati and Saudi firm Al-Rawaf. The value of the deal is put at about 300 million US dollars (USD).
The corporation's director general, Moaz Najjar, said the award followed evaluation of the bid judged best on both technical and economic grounds. The contract still awaits final signature by the General Secretariat of the Presidency for Council of Ministers Affairs before site works begin.
Scope of the Works
The project covers rehabilitation of the existing Damascus-Palmyra road and construction of a second, parallel branch along its length, together with rehabilitation of the Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor segment and an additional branch there. The stated goal is to raise capacity, improve traffic safety and separate opposing flows on a corridor that currently runs as a single two-lane bidirectional road with no central median.
Najjar had said earlier in August that the new parallel branch will be equipped with lane markings, signage and safety features, in parallel with upgrades to the existing road and treatment of accident-prone points along the corridor.
Length, Value and Timeline
The corridor stretches approximately 425 kilometers between Damascus and Deir ez-Zor via Palmyra. Under the awarded contract, the execution period is set at 780 days, or a little over two years, once administrative procedures are completed and site mobilization begins.
The project has been framed by the corporation as part of a wider plan to rebuild strategic road axes and to draw major specialized firms into Syria's infrastructure sector.
Why the Route Matters
The Damascus-Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor axis is the main road link between the capital and the country's east, carrying passenger traffic and freight between the central and northeastern provinces. Officials cast the upgrade as a way to strengthen inter-provincial connectivity within the country's core road network and to support the movement of goods and production.
Authorities have said the deal fits a broader effort to draw specialized foreign firms into Syria's infrastructure sector alongside domestic contractors.