Meeting in Bangkok
Syria's Finance Minister, Mohammad Yusr Barnieh, met World Bank President Ajay Banga in Bangkok in mid-October 2026, during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The talks took place at the annual gathering between the group of Arab countries and the bank's president, and the finance ministry announced the meeting publicly.
Barnieh used the meeting to press for a wider World Bank role in Syria's economic recovery and to review progress since the country began reopening to international institutions after years of isolation.
Grants Across Sectors
The minister pointed to growing cooperation with the World Bank and to grants supporting development projects in energy, water, health, education, and the financial sector. He said these projects were helping essential services recover.
He also noted progress in Syria's broader recovery, including the continued return of refugees and displaced people to their areas of origin, which he tied to the rebuilding of basic infrastructure.
A Push for Private Capital
Barnieh called for the World Bank to take on a larger part in supporting Syria's private sector and in attracting private investment and capital flows into the country. He singled out the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the bank's private-sector arm, as a key channel for that support.
He also welcomed the bank president's efforts to mobilize private investment for developing economies, framing private capital as essential to any lasting recovery rather than an alternative to public support.
Reconstruction Fund
The minister welcomed a planned multi-donor fund for Syria's reconstruction and preparations to launch a formal World Bank–Syria partnership strategy. These mechanisms are intended to coordinate international financing for rebuilding the economy and to give donors a shared framework.
The World Bank president expressed optimism about Syria's economic prospects and said reform efforts could have a positive effect across the wider Arab region.