Saudi Arabia, Qatar to Pay Syria’s World Bank Debt, Unlocking Funds
Armed security personnel stand guard near ongoing roadwork in Aleppo, Syria on April 13.
Photographer: Omar Albaw/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledged to pay Syria’s debt to the World Bank, removing one obstacle for the country’s new leadership to receive funds from the international lender as it struggles to revive its war-hit economy.
The Gulf nations announced their commitment to pay off the roughly $15 million that’s outstanding after high-level discussions on post-war Syria at the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank/International Monetary Fund spring meetings last week, as they seek to support economic recovery under the new government of President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.