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Syria Launches Drive to Reclaim State Assets Tied to Former Ruling Families

SP Today News Desk

Syria's state property authority opened a national campaign on 2 August 2026 to recover public assets and fight corruption, flagging hundreds of properties tied to the Assad, Makhlouf, Shaleesh, and al-Jadaan families, mainly in Rif Dimashq and Latakia.

National Asset Recovery Drive

Syria's state property authority launched a nationwide campaign on 2 August 2026 to reclaim public assets and protect state funds from waste and corruption. The effort is being carried out jointly with the illicit gains committee and the Ministry of Finance.

Officials framed the campaign as a departure from routine administrative work, describing it instead as a targeted push to recover assets that were seized or acquired improperly and to safeguard public money.

Holdings Tied to Former Elites

Reviews of state records uncovered contracts and investments linked to members of the Assad, Shaleesh, Makhlouf, and al-Jadaan families, along with other individuals facing criminal accusations. The authority's director said the work aimed to reverse encroachments and deals struck on unfavorable terms.

Investigators said the arrangements had allowed public land and buildings to change hands at prices well below their worth, treating the recovery of those assets as a matter of protecting public money rather than ordinary paperwork.

Hundreds of Properties Flagged

Auditors identified hundreds of state-owned plots and buildings, covering an estimated several hundred dunams, that had been invested or taken over at low prices. The flagged holdings are concentrated in the provinces of Rif Dimashq and Latakia.

Inventory and Legal Steps

The campaign involves a comprehensive inventory of state property across the governorates and a revaluation of real estate under stricter standards. It also seeks to collect dues owed to the state over previous years.

The authority said legal measures would be pursued against those found to be involved, and that files linked to contested properties would be reopened and re-examined one by one.

Assets Toward the Economy

The campaign rests on three tracks: reviewing how state property is invested and auditing contracts marred by corruption or mismanagement, addressing encroachments on public holdings, and turning state assets into productive resources that support the national economy.

By recovering outstanding dues and returning idle holdings to use, officials said the state stood to reclaim revenue lost in earlier years and to put previously undervalued assets to work.

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