Official Name

Syrian Arab Republic

Capital

Damascus

Currency

Syrian pound (SYP)

Population

2007 estimate = $ 97.74 billion (60th)

Main Languages

Arabic is the official and most widely spoken language. Kurdish is widely spoken in the Kurdish regions of Syria. Many educated Syrians also speak English and French.

Total GDP

$86.59 billion (2007 est.)

Real GDP Growth

3.5% (2007 est.)

Main Economic Sector

Agriculture - products:

Wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Industries:

Petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing.

Indo-Syria Economic and Commercial Relations

India and Syria have always enjoyed warm and friendly relations. The economic and commercial relations between the two countries got a big boost with the visit of a high-level Syrian delegation to India in July 2000. The delegation was led by the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and included the Ministers of Planning, Industry, Higher Education and Science & Technology. Apart from a number of senior officials, a large trade delegation also accompanied the Ministerial delegation. A Joint Indo-Syria Business Council was also set up during the visit with FICCI as the nodal body on the Indian side and the Syrian Federation of Chambers of Commerce on the Syrian side. During the last two years, a number of high level visits including the visits of External Affairs Ministers Mr. Jaswant Singh and Mr. Yashwant Sinha, Minister of State for Science of Technology Mr. B.S. Rawat to Syria and the visit of Syrian Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Mr. Farouk al Shara to India have helped in strengthening bilateral relations. Various commercial delegations from SRTEPC, IEEMA, CII, APTECH, EdCIL, Konkon Railway, BEML, CMC, BEL, etc have visited Syria. These interactions have increased the awareness about India among the Syrian business community which has resulted into increased commercial exchanges between the two sides.

Indo-Syrian Trade : Indo-Syrian Commercial exchanges, while still modest, are steadily on the increase. In 1995-96 India's exports to Syria were worth US $ 30 million and imports from Syria worth US $ 8.26 million. In 1996-1997 India's exports to Syria increased to around US $ 48 million and imports from Syria grew to reach about US $ 21 million. In 1997-1998, India exported to Syria goods worth around US $ 53 million and imported products worth about US $ 7.3 million. During the fiscal year 1998-99, Indian exports were valued at US$ 60.76 million while imports from Syria were US $ 17.89 million. During the fiscal year 1999-2000 Indian exports increased to US$ 65.67 million and Indian imports from Syria accounted for US$ 11.82 million. During the fiscal year 2000-2001, Indian exports reached US$ 72.91 million and imports from Syria during the same period were around US$ 6.5 million.

Further, during 2001-02, India exported goods worth US $ 95.94 million and imported goods worth US $ 7.23 million. During 2002-2003 the India exports to Syria have reached US $ 122.02 million and imports US $ 8.90 million

Indian exports consist mainly of manmade fabrics and yarns (21%), machinery and transport equipment (20%), Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals (8%), Manufacture of metals (6%), Jute and Jute products (4%). Imports, on the other hand mostly comprise of rock phosphates, pulses, spices, raw cotton and raw wool. Syria has a growing private sector but the economy is still largely state-controlled and a large number of manufacturing units are run by the government. Similarly, the government has a number of state-owned companies for canalization of imports. These companies issue international tenders for various imports, and companies world-wide can participate in the same. A similar procedure is adopted for execution of large-scale turnkey projects. Some of these imports and projects are funded by EIB, the Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, Kuwait Fund or by Arab countries like Saudi Arabia.

Indo-Syrian Bilateral Trade

Year	India's Exports to Syria (US$ Million)	India's Imports From Syria (US$ Million)	Trade Balance (US$ Million)
1995-96	30.00	8.26	+ 21.74
1996-97	48.00	21.00	+ 27.00
1997-98	53.00	7.30	+ 45.70
1998-99	60.76	17.89	+ 42.87
1999-2000	65.67	11.82	+ 53.85
2000-01	72.91	6.50	+ 66.41
2000-02	95.94	7.23	+ 87.93
2002-03	122.02	8.90	+ 114.02

+ = Trade Balance in India's Favour

Main Contact in New Delhi

Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic

D-5/8, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110 057.
Tel. : 26140233 / Fax : 26143107

Indian Embassy

3455, Sharkassiyeh, Ibn Al Haitham Street,
Abu Rumaneh, PO Box. 685, Damascus,
Telephone: 00-963-11-3347351, 3347352
Fax: 00-963-11-3347912
Email: indiaemb@scs-net.org

Chamber of Commerce

Federation Of Syrian Chambers Of Commerce

Damascus - Mousa Ben Nousair St.
Beside Meridien Hotel, P.O. Box 5909
Phone No. 0096311 3311504 / 3337344
Fax No. 0096311 3331127 / Telex No. 411194
E-mail ritsec@schamb.com.eg
Secretary General: Dr. Abdul Rahman Attar
President: Dr. Rateb Shallah

Damascus Chamber Of Commerce

126, Mou'awiah Street, P.O. Box 1040
Damascus, Syria
Phone: (963) 11-211339/218339 / Fax: (963) 11-225874
Secretary General: Dr. Abdul Rahman Attar
President: Dr. Rateb Shallah

Visa Procedure

Arab and foreign arrivals to Syria should have the following:

1. A Passport valid for a period not less than one month after the elapse of the period of the entry visa, provided that the passport is issued by a state recognized by Syria, does not carry an Israeli visa, and the name of the passport owner is not listed among those forbidden from entering Syria.
2. An entry visa or transit visa issued by the Syrian embassy or consulate in the original country of the tourist or his place of residence. Entry or transit visas are granted by Emigration And Passport Department at the border, for the subjects of foreign countries which have no diplomatic representation in Syria, and for the foreigners living permanently in Syria provided they show their residency cards.
3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Syrian diplomatic missions issue the following entry visas : the diplomatic, the private, the complimentary and service visas.
4. Entry visa: tow kinds
   • Six months from the date of its issue: valid for one or many entries. Exceptionally, visas can be granted for one year
   • Entry visa valid for three months, serves for one entry.
5. Transit visa: tow kinds
   • Three months valid for one or many entries
   • Three months valid for one entries

For more details contact the Syrian Embassy in NEW

Tourist Attractions of Syria

Damascus

Damascus is Syria's largest city and capital located around the Barada River and Ghouta Oasis. It is one of world's oldest inhabited cities as old as 5000 BC. It offers fascinating oriental bazaars and marvelous monuments. The centre of the city is Martyrs' Square where most of the restaurants and hotels are located. The charming old city is surrounded by Roman wall.Visit city's main market the colourful Souq al-Hamidiyya. Opposite the end of the market is the Umayyad Mosque. It is a jewel of Islamic architecture, with several gorgeous mosaics and three original minarets. Saladin's Mausoleum built in 1193 is covered with rust red dome set in a pleasant garden over the northern wall of the Umayyad Mosque. Museum of the Arts & Popular Traditions of Syria is located in Azem Palace built in 1749 from alternating lines of black basalt and white limestone. St Paul's Chape is located in the east of the Old City. Dedicated to the saint you can see the spot at the old city gate Bab Kisan, where the disciples lowered St Paul out of a window one night so that he could flee the Jews. One of Syria's most graceful mosques isTakiyya as-Süleimaniyya designed in the Ottoman style located at the south of Barada River. The National Museum, also south of the river, is worth at least one visit for a fantastic display of exhibits including writings from the 14th century BC that use the world's first known alphabet, statuary from Mari that's over 4000 years old, two halls full of marble and terracotta statues from Palmyra, Damascene weapons, old surgical instruments from surgeons' graves, a collection of 13th century Qurans and a complete room decorated in the style of the 18th-century Azem Palace.

India's Imports from Syria (Value in Rupees - Million)

Commodity	99 -2000	2000 -01	2001 - 02	2002- 03	2002-03 Upto June 02	2003 - 04 Upto June 03
Pulses	0.005	0.015	0.00	63.52	0.00	0.79
Spices	---	---	18.87	31.42	0.00	11.68
Wool/Raw	13.89	11.01	30.12	60.83	17.22	15.41
Fertilisers (Rock Phosphate	391.28	170.01	69.19	14.99	0.00	0.00
Cotton/Raw	68.71	49.67	195.11	184.96	64.72	49.65
Raw & Hides Leather	----	----	32.70	9.48	2.10	1.01
Organic Chemical	----	----	2.12	4.0	20.99	0.00
Others	22.45	73.32	5.18	58.45	0.75	12.97
Total	496.35	304.04	353.29	427.67	85.78	91.51
Total (US $Million)	a.13.42	b. 7.24	c. 7.23	c. 8.90	d.1.75	d. 1.94
Trade Balance	99-2000	2000 - 01	2001 - 02	2002- 03	2002- 03 Upto June 02	2003-04 Upto June 03
+=India's Favour - =Syria's Favour	+2261.65	+3105.1	+4339.70	+5435.37	+1066.49	+1750.97

India's Exports to Syria (Value in Rupees - Million)

Commodity	98-99	99 -2000	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003
Coffee	33.02	4.79	17.13	24.47	16.50
Tea	2.47	0.70	5.06	1.89	8.62
Rice	8 .2 6	1.95	2.37	10 .2 9	16
Spices	20.92	5.11	19.32	10.98	14.14
Cashew	---	---	---	24.25	40.39
Processed Minerals	3.57	6.36	2.80	3.05	3.92
Other Ores & Minerals	0.48	1.00	0.79	3.53	3.64
Drugs & Fine Chemicals	230.14	269.30	252.04	382.92	423.72
Inorganic/Organic/Agro Chems.	28.60	23.91	38.20	53.65	141.38
Residl Chemical	---	---	---	9.38	29.01
Cosmetics/Toiletries	19.37	12.54	1 8.19	37.69	16.59
Rubber Manufactured Product	62.10	42.01	105.28	220.61	266.67
Paints/Enamels/Vanishes	3.36	12.10	10.00	39.95	49.59
Sesame/Niger Seeds	9.73	0.00	70. 33	11.20	17.23
Dyes/Intermediates	24.65	27.47	30.05	24.02	23
Plastic & Linoleum Products	23.01	57.38	134.71	249.76	207.20
Mfr. Of Metals	481.54	439.09	195.58	310.06	295.71
Iron & Stl Bar /  Rod	---	---	---	60 .31	54.57
Prmry Semi Finished Iron Stl	---	---	---	22.27	90.66
Non Ferrous Metals	---	---	---	0.13	47.08
Machine Tools	6.06	6.42	20.00	82.12	37.63
Machinery & Instruments	269.19	356.81	546.89	841.31	862.65
Transpo rt Equipt.	129.0 9	92.45	2 95.72	327.60	172.92
Cotton Yarn/Fabrics	87.10	61.28	109.00	74.87	75.06
Man-made yarn/fabrics	530.64	755.18	1037 .46	1341.63	1090.97
Manmade Stable Fibre	---	---	---	2.95	59.36
Jute Mfr.	161.29	20.56	104.73	46.45	198.9
Finished Le ather &	---	---	---	7.98	21.56

Source: Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and

Main Import

Machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper

Main Exports

Crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat. Airport & Harbour Latakia, Tartus

Useful Websites

www.syriatourism.org

Photographs of Historical monuments & Tourist attraction