Largest Pledge in Fund History
Syria's Development Fund announced on 20 April 2026 that it has received a commitment of 25 million US dollars (USD) from the Al-Khayat family — the largest single donor pledge recorded in the fund's registry since its establishment. The fund issued an official acknowledgment letter describing the commitment as a demonstration of confidence in Syrians' capacity to build an independent future.
Mandate and Legal Foundation
The Syrian Development Fund was established by Presidential Decree No. 112 in 2025 as an independent economic institution operating under the direct oversight of the Syrian presidency and headquartered in Damascus. The fund was conceived as the primary mechanism for mobilizing domestic and diaspora capital to finance post-conflict recovery.
Its stated mandate covers three priority areas: rebuilding physical infrastructure — including roads, bridges, power stations, and water networks — funding livelihood and development projects, and extending favorable loans to small and medium-sized enterprises across Syria.
Three Channels for Raising Capital
The fund operates through three defined funding streams. The first encompasses one-off donations from Syrians residing inside the country and abroad. The second is a permanent-donor program under which enrolled contributors commit to fixed monthly payments. The third covers gifts and grants received in accordance with applicable Syrian regulations.
The Al-Khayat family's 25 million USD commitment is the largest single entry across all three channels in the fund's donor ledger.
Start of a Disbursement Phase
The fund's official communication framed the receipt of the pledge as the start of converting donor commitments into active development initiatives, signaling that project identification and capital deployment are expected to follow. Fund leadership characterized the commitment as evidence that the diaspora model of financing Syrian reconstruction is gaining traction at scale.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara has described the fund as "the fundamental pillar for restoring what the deposed regime destroyed," underscoring the government's stated strategy of building Syria's recovery on "Syrian resources and capital."