For more than a decade, Syria’s television industry operated under the weight of crippling sanctions, political isolation and dwindling resources.
What was once a regional powerhouse of drama – especially during the lucrative Ramadan season – faded as producers struggled with blocked funding channels, severed international ties and a shrinking market for distribution.
In a significant development reflecting Syria's evolving economic situation, the country’s new leadership has finalised an agreement with Qatari company Al Maha International to construct a media and entertainment complex on the outskirts of Damascus.
This deal, celebrated as a key element of Syria's post-sanctions, comes on the heels of US President Donald Trump's recent decision to remove long-standing sanctions on the war-affected nation.
The focal point of the Qatari agreement is the City of Damascus Gate, an ambitious mega-project designed to establish Syria as a regional leader in film, television and tourism. Planned as a production city that combines cultural richness with modern efficiency, the complex will cover nearly two million square metres across the Damascus governorate.
It is anticipated that the site will become a regional centre for Arab television networks, film producers and media firms looking for an affordable yet culturally significant filming venue. The initiative is projected to generate more than 4,000 permanent jobs and an additional 9,000 seasonal positions, providing a crucial economic boost to the local labour market and a possible route to rejuvenating Syria's once-vibrant creative sectors.
This announcement arrives amid a surge of foreign interest in Syria's previously stagnant industries, especially in tourism, real estate and entertainment.
The lifting of US sanctions may mark a turning point for Syria’s constrained television industry. For leading showrunners and industry veterans like Ahmad Alshiekh, who has been bringing some of the country’s best productions in difficult times, it feels less like a diplomatic gesture and more like an existential reset.
“The lifting of US sanctions is not just symbolic, it’s a potential reset button for the entire Syrian film and television ecosystem,” Alshiekh tells The National.
“For over a decade, the industry operated under tremendous constraints, cut off from global resources, partnerships and even basic tools of the trade. Now, for the first time in years, there’s space to rebuild with proper structure, transparency and international collaboration. It won’t happen overnight, but the door is finally open.”
The effects, he says, won’t be limited to economic logistics. The most immediate change is psychological. “Once the fear of legal and financial complications fades, doors naturally open,” Alshiekh explains. “I expect regional distributors, broadcasters, and even advertisers to re-engage first. Production will follow, but not just in quantity, in quality.”
That quality, long praised in Syrian drama for its emotional depth and sharp social commentary, has suffered in recent years. Yet the foundation remains. Alshiekh believes the industry’s core strengths – strong narratives and culturally grounded storytelling – position it for a powerful return, especially if professional standards can be restored and co-productions with regional and international partners flourish.
“The real opportunity lies in restoring professional standards, improving production value, and building co-productions with trusted partners inside and outside the region,” he says. “As for funding, it’s never just about access, it’s about confidence, and that will take time to rebuild. But this is the first real step.”
The goal is not just recovery, it’s global relevance. Alshiekh is confident that, with the right foundations in place, Syrian series can compete internationally not as underdog curiosities, but as compelling, high-quality productions.
“The potential is undeniable,” he says. “Syrian drama has always had a unique voice in the Arab world, and international audiences are more receptive than ever to authentic, culturally rich storytelling. But let’s be realistic – growth requires more than the lifting of constraints. It takes vision, infrastructure, professional standards and smart partnerships.”
That international vision may not be so far off. Streaming giants like Netflix and regional platforms like Shahid have already expanded their Arabic content portfolios in recent years. With sanctions out of the way, Alshiekh suggests that conversations with major platforms are quietly already under way.
“Platforms like Netflix and Shahid are constantly searching for fresh, authentic narratives,” he says. “Syrian content has always delivered on depth and drama, but until now, the logistical and legal complexities kept the big players hesitant. With those barriers easing, I believe we’ll see Syrian stories finding their place, not just as niche titles, but as part of mainstream Arab and global line-ups.”
One of the clearest markers for a Syrian television revival will be next year’s Ramadan season. Often dubbed “TV’s Super Bowl” in the Arab world, it’s historically been a defining showcase for Syrian drama. Alshiekh believes 2026 could mark a comeback, if the industry steps up.
“Ramadan has always been the stage where Syrian drama made its mark, not just in the region, but across the Arab world,” he says. “But the reality is, for the past decade, that golden period was dimmed by logistical, financial, and political obstacles. Now, with restrictions easing, we have the opportunity, not the guarantee, to reclaim that position.
“But success won’t come from nostalgia alone. It will depend on whether we as an industry can deliver the kind of high-quality, relevant and technically strong productions that audiences expect today. If we get that right – and I believe many of us are ready – the 2026 Ramadan season could mark the true comeback of Syrian drama on screens across the region.”
For award-winning Syrian-Palestinian director Anas Zawahri, the lifting of US sanctions on Syria is a potential rebirth of an industry that has long struggled to survive under isolation.
“The lifting of sanctions marks a real turning point for Syrian television and film,” Zawahri tells The National. “For over a decade, we’ve been creatively and financially paralysed. Sanctions made it nearly impossible to collaborate with institutions abroad or to access even the most basic forms of funding and support. We were working in a vacuum.”
Zawahri, who was born in 1987 and resides in Damascus, is part of a new wave of Syrian creatives who have persisted despite those constraints. His award-winning documentary, My Memory is Full of Ghosts, was produced independently and went on to receive international acclaim. The film chronicles the shattered lives of Homs residents who returned to find their city reduced to rubble, haunted by war, displacement, and silence. It won the Anhar Award for Best Human Rights Film at the 2024 Karama Human Rights Festival in Jordan and was screened widely across the Arab world and Europe.
“That film came from a place of truth, of loss, of memory and of confrontation. We told stories about arrests, torture, and displacement at a time when even speaking about those things was dangerous,” he recalls. “There was no support. No structure. We were completely on our own.”
Now, with sanctions lifted, Zawahri sees new opportunity on the horizon – not just for himself, but for the industry as a whole.
“We’re already seeing the change. Investors are coming in. Producers who were once hesitant worried about reputational or legal risks are re-engaging. Syria is fertile ground for storytelling, and it’s cheaper to operate here than in Lebanon or the Gulf. The potential is massive.”
While he admits that the revival of Syrian cinema will take time, Zawahri says the television industry is poised for immediate growth.
“Television is the heart of Syrian culture. We’re a series-driven country. Syrian dramas have long held a regional reputation. Now, with fewer restrictions, we can begin to tell more daring stories, stories about the brutality of the past decade, the revolution, the regime’s violence – subjects that were once completely taboo.
“This moment offers a real chance to build something new. But we need support: funding, festivals, platforms to promote our work. Syrian drama is trending again, not just in the region, but globally. The next few years could define a generation of new creators.”
For Zawahri, who identifies as a Syrian-Palestinian refugee and self-taught filmmaker, the end of the sanctions era is a rare moment of possibility, one that he hopes will not be wasted.
“We’ve paid the price. We’ve waited in silence. Now it’s time to create again and to be heard.”
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The%20specs
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'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Racecard
6.35pm: American Business Council – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm: British Business Group – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m
8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
The five pillars of Islam
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')
Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')
Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
More from Neighbourhood Watch
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
Donating your hair
• Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
• Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
