A New Multi-Donor Fund
Syria and the World Bank Group have agreed to establish a multi-donor trust fund to finance the country's recovery and reconstruction, under the name START. The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced the agreement on 18 October 2026.
The fund is designed to channel concessional financing, investment guarantees, technical support and capacity building toward priorities set by the Syrian state, while encouraging private-sector investment.
Agreed in Bangkok
The fund's structure and operating mechanisms were presented at a high-level roundtable on Syria's recovery, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Bangkok between 12 and 18 October 2026.
Participants included development partners from the Arab region, the European Union, the United States, and a range of regional and international financial institutions and development agencies.
Concessional Lending Pledged
Alongside the fund, Syria's participation in the meetings yielded USD 406 million in concessional lending directed toward reconstruction. The World Bank will administer the trust fund together with donors and partners, and will work with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to draw in private capital.
Officials' Expectations
Finance Minister Mohammed Yusr Barnieh, who serves as Syria's governor at the World Bank Group, said the agreement opens a new phase of cooperation and coordination with international partners. He stressed that the fund should be Syrian-led and guided by national priorities.
World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Ousmane Dione said the fund represents an important step toward turning the international community's commitment to supporting Syria into coordinated action.
Follow-Up Talks
In a subsequent meeting on 19 October 2026, Barnieh and Central Bank Governor Safwat Raslan discussed progress on the fund with a senior World Bank delegation, including regional director Dalia Khalifa. The sides reviewed the fund's requirements and the conditions for its success.