Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:01and energy management and load distribution and distribution of
00:00:05energy sources inside Syria.
00:00:08Yes, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has experience in this regard.
00:00:12Also, on the topic of housing today, Saudi Arabia has major companies
00:00:15and has implemented major projects
00:00:18increasing production, and reducing in the field of
00:00:20the historical dimension of housing. So, Saudi Arabia started from the advantages it enjoys, and also started from the
00:00:24needs of Syrians today, as the colleagues said, these
00:00:27are essential needs, but they are also important
00:00:31for establishing a new economy for Syria. What is
00:00:35have been arranged with the neighbors special about Syria is that it has capabilities, meaning there are great
00:00:38opportunities. Today, Saudi investors and even
00:00:43does not diminish or the Saudi government invest or
00:00:45services, because that increases provide easy loans because they are confident that the Syrian economy is
00:00:50and its data on capable of achieving gains, whether
00:00:52you, Professor Jasser, and the best for Saudi investors or other investors.
00:00:56The Syrian economy has three vital and important sectors.
00:01:00Very important, not only for the Syrian economy but for the region, and that is
00:01:04industry in all
00:01:06facilities for Syrian citizens its components, whether leather industry or handicraft
00:01:09industries or even industries in the automotive sector or other
00:01:13industries that Syrians can succeed in. Also, the agricultural
00:01:16sector, as Mr. Jasser Al-Jasser mentioned, is a vital and
00:01:20important sector that can achieve
00:01:21who sits in the cafe or who walks in
00:01:21and developmental feasibility so that food security not only for Syrians but for the entire
00:01:25region, and we know that Syrian exports in the field of
00:01:29but by the number of patients vegetables, fruits, and agriculture in general are very
00:01:32remarkable despite the weak capabilities. So imagine when there are
00:01:36very high components or capabilities. The
00:01:39third vital and important sector is the tourism sector, which
00:01:42cannot return to
00:01:46imposed by the occupation its true form and which can achieve considerable revenues for the Syrian GDP until
00:01:49the reconstruction phase of Syria
00:01:52is completed, which includes
00:01:56the package of projects signed between Saudi Arabia and Syria.
00:02:02cubic meters of rubble in
00:02:02here, this stance and this agreement with Currently, there is a first phase in it. What I want to say
00:02:04is that the first message to the world is that today there is a center
00:02:08of confidence in the Syrian economy. Beautiful.
00:02:13of the decrease in electricity costs If you allow me, go ahead, Professor Jasser. I noticed that you
00:02:15that constitute a real investment were hinting at a Mecca alliance and a defensive agreement
00:02:18in some way. Is that possible? But
00:02:22it's still too early. Perhaps this agreement and defensive
00:02:26cooperation will be part of qualifying defensive capabilities.
00:02:30and exemptions or so on. Meaning, the Syrian government does The Mecca alliance agreement is based on multiple criteria,
00:02:33meaning there is agreement in visions, capabilities,
00:02:36and capacities. This could be a step in qualifying, meaning,
00:02:39the defense, the Syrian defensive capabilities, part of it to reach
00:02:43a future stage in joining the Mecca alliance.
00:02:46From your perspective, Professor Jasser, when
00:02:50religion, and so on with them. Therefore, can Syria be part
00:02:52is always of this alliance, and what can Syria add with its presence?
00:02:55Well, it's difficult because this decision depends
00:02:59on the three countries. They are the three countries that vote on
00:03:02who should. But in light of
00:03:04countries did in the reconstruction process, the current situation, I think
00:03:06which is relying on grants, it's a bit early in
00:03:07or on donations, this regard, but there is support. This support
00:03:10for the transformation of Syrian capabilities in this way may
00:03:13be one of the indicators of
00:03:15especially in areas the desire for Syria to be one of the parties to this
00:03:18solution in the future. Perhaps Syria, as you know, Professor Jasser,
00:03:22given the regional threats it faces, its presence
00:03:25might be appropriate.
00:03:29Of course, cooperation is currently ongoing. Saudi-Syrian cooperation, Turkish-Syrian
00:03:32cooperation exists in
00:03:35companies as an investment that will actually this form and continues, but the issue of
00:03:38the alliance as an affiliation
00:03:42and journalist from is another different issue in this form, at least in its technical
00:03:44details and requirements. And there are other countries, many countries
00:03:48that want to join, but I think Syria is one of the important
00:03:51axes if the capabilities are available for it to be part of this alliance,
00:03:55for multiple reasons, geographically, strategically,
00:03:58and politically, and its fundamental and strong connection
00:04:02to at least two of the main countries in the alliance, which
00:04:05are Saudi Arabia and Turkey. And I think Mr. Ahmed has a comment. Go
00:04:09ahead. First of all, Syria today relies on
00:04:12the Saudi agreements agreements with each of these countries. It has
00:04:15an agreement with Pakistan, as well as with Turkey and with Saudi Arabia,
00:04:19to be frank and closer to reading the reality.
00:04:22Syria's entry today into an alliance or into the Mecca agreement will
00:04:26put these three countries in confrontation with Israel, because Syria
00:04:30is subject to aggression, and I believe
00:04:33companies, do not make their to knock on the doors of peace. this is a subsequent step. Why? I believe that after the end of the American midterm elections,
00:04:37which have ended and been decided in favor of the Democrats,
00:04:40as well as the Israeli elections, and there is a new
00:04:43government coming soon, I believe that there
00:04:46will be a peace agreement
00:04:49improving the investment signed, and its drafts have reached a great extent between Syria
00:04:51and Israel. It will be signed after this
00:04:54peace agreement is signed. Then the possibility
00:04:58of Syria joining the Mecca agreement
00:05:09will talk about information.
00:05:11Something related to analysis and perhaps also the history of reading
00:05:15the history of agreements that occur, meaning that
00:05:19we can measure the Mecca agreement against, and also the Syrian situation
00:05:22that Syria is going through, which is completely different from stable
00:05:26countries like Pakistan, Turkey, or Saudi Arabia,
00:05:29and the differences in capabilities and defense industries
00:05:32and so on of other elements.
00:05:36In a sense, it's just a matter of time and a chronological
00:05:39arrangement, but the possibility
00:05:42of the Mecca agreement may be possible in 2027 after other steps
00:05:47or with the region. And that may be as an observer
00:05:50or as a participant or as a... And this
00:05:56mean anything concerning Syria's position or so on, but
00:06:00each country has its circumstances
00:06:03the ground. In addition, the Minister of
00:06:06Defense was also accompanying, and perhaps bilateral agreements
00:06:10were concluded. These bilateral agreements may serve the Mecca
00:06:13agreement directly or indirectly.
00:06:17Well, it's an economic issue, but it seems that economics
00:06:20cannot be separated from politics. Returning to Dr. Mahmoud Abdul
00:06:24Karim, Dr. Mahmoud, if there are several agreements, how
00:06:27can we ensure that these loans are directed towards
00:06:30projects with economic
00:06:34their impact is not limited to rehabilitating
00:06:37facilities but extends to improving the efficiency of
00:06:40services and production?
00:06:44That is, ensuring the economic feasibility of loans starts by
00:06:47changing the way projects are evaluated, so that
00:06:50we are not just satisfied with asking about the amount of
00:06:54money spent or the number of facilities that will be
00:06:57rehabilitated, but rather we ask about the actual
00:07:00improvement in service and production and whether the improvement is worth
00:07:04the cost of financing. For example, if we allocated 90
00:07:08million dollars to rehabilitate the Aleppo
00:07:11thermal power plant, the success criterion is not just the completion
00:07:15of maintenance work, but the number
00:07:18of megawatts that actually returned to the grid, the number
00:07:21of additional supply hours, and the extent
00:07:25for factories and citizens. In addition
00:07:28to this, this requires ensuring fuel supplies and network
00:07:31maintenance in parallel with the rehabilitation of the plant,
00:07:35because a ready plant without
00:07:38sufficient fuel will not achieve any required economic return.
00:07:42The same applies to the water project
00:07:44of 30 million dollars, which aims to install
00:07:4730,000 smart meters. The goal is not to install
00:07:50meters in themselves, but
00:07:54to reduce waste and improve billing
00:07:56accuracy, and also improve collection and provide
00:08:00water financial resources that help water
00:08:03institutions maintain networks and improve service
00:08:06continuity, while taking into account the purchasing
00:08:09power of families. As for the housing sector,
00:08:13we have 60 million dollars to rehabilitate up to 1000 housing
00:08:17units, which is equivalent to about 6000
00:08:20dollars per unit on average. Here, funding must be directed
00:08:23to housing that can be renovated,
00:08:27where water, electricity,
00:08:31schools, and job opportunities are available, in order for
00:08:34this return or the return of families to be a real return to economic
00:08:37activity and not just repairing closed buildings.
00:08:41The basic guarantee here is the existence of clear feasibility
00:08:45studies before implementation and measurable
00:08:49indicators, and joint financial and technical oversight,
00:08:53in addition to publishing periodic reports that
00:08:56clarify what has been spent and what has actually been achieved. For example,
00:08:59Dr. Mahmoud, for example, the health sector faces
00:09:01a severe shortage of equipment and infrastructure,
00:09:05which you mentioned. How can
00:09:07economic oversight
00:09:10mechanisms work to achieve
00:09:14perhaps the highest operational efficiency
00:09:17for hospitals, medical centers, everything
00:09:20related to this matter?
00:09:23Certainly, achieving high operational efficiency does
00:09:27not stop at providing medical devices and equipment, but rather
00:09:30requires rebuilding the entire operating system
00:09:33and management entirely. And this is precisely what should be focused
00:09:37on when Saudi funding of 100 million dollars is directed to the health
00:09:41sector. We are facing a sector that has suffered
00:09:44for years from damaged facilities and a lack of equipment and staff. Therefore,
00:09:48the goal should not only be to reopen hospitals, but to ensure
00:09:52their ability to provide regular and high-quality medical
00:09:55services. The first step is to conduct
00:09:58an accurate assessment of needs in each governorate
00:10:01so that we do not buy expensive equipment for hospitals
00:10:05that lack stable electricity or lack
00:10:08qualified staff to operate these equipment. For example,
00:10:12if we buy a sophisticated medical imaging device,
00:10:16but the hospital does not have specialized technicians or a budget
00:10:19for its maintenance, then we would have spent money without
00:10:22achieving the required health return. And here lies the importance
00:10:25of economic oversight, which must monitor not only
00:10:29purchase prices and contracts, but also the cost of
00:10:33medical service and equipment utilization rates, the number
00:10:36of patients treated,
00:10:39the average patient waiting time, the equipment
00:10:42breakdown rate. For example, an operational goal can be set
00:10:46to reduce waiting times by 20-30%
00:10:49in the targeted hospitals, but after measuring
00:10:53the current situation and determining the actual capabilities.
00:10:56There are key points related to resource distribution.
00:11:00It is not efficient to concentrate equipment
00:11:03in hospitals in large cities, while rural areas
00:11:07remain without primary
00:11:10the pressure on central hospitals and raises
00:11:13transportation and treatment costs for citizens. Also, digital
00:11:17systems should be adopted for inventory,
00:11:20medicine, and appointment management, in addition to linking purchases
00:11:23to actual hospital needs, allocating periodic budgets
00:11:27for maintenance and staff
00:11:30reports should be international and public, comparing
00:11:34the funds provided
00:11:46investing 100 million dollars is not measured by the number of devices
00:11:50we buy or the buildings we renovate,
00:11:54who receive appropriate treatment, the reduction in the cost
00:11:57of service provision, and the improvement in its quality and continuity.
00:12:01Go ahead, Mr. Mohammed. I would like to say
00:12:04that this is very good talk. Focusing on the efficiency of services
00:12:08and the quality of implementation of the expected projects, and I am confident
00:12:12that the Saudi Development Fund, which implemented these or chose this type of
00:12:16projects, and that it worked on studying them in depth
00:12:19to achieve a tangible impact. However, I would like to point
00:12:22out an important point, that we are talking about
00:12:25an economy that starts almost from scratch, I mean, at
00:12:29the infrastructure level, yes, and at
00:12:31the level of sectors ready
00:12:35to receive investments and obtain
00:12:38services.
00:12:40And this needs time, so I don't want us to rush
00:12:44the results from this type of major projects because these
00:12:47projects will serve Syria for 50 and 100 years to come. We are talking about
00:12:51projects in the water sector, in the health sector, in the infrastructure sector, in the
00:12:55telecommunications sector, in the energy sector. And these are huge
00:12:58projects that require huge liquidity, of course,
00:13:01and require time for their direct
00:13:05impact to be realized, whether on citizens
00:13:08or even within the economic circle.
00:13:10Yes, the Syrian one. However, I emphasize what
00:13:14my colleagues have said, that the focus
00:13:17on projects that can achieve
00:13:20sustainability.
00:13:21Yes,
00:13:24or even at the level of revenues for the Syrian economy.
00:13:27Professor Ahmed, Syria needs everything
00:13:31and needs huge projects, and the burden
00:13:34is heavy.
00:13:37The global context today is indeed confusing. First, there is a global
00:13:41economic crisis, and there is a kind of stagnation
00:13:44in the global economy. I was,
00:13:48a few days ago, in the Netherlands. There is something like a living
00:13:51crisis, and prices have risen manifold, while income has remained
00:13:55the same. This cannot be separated from the situation of the Syrian
00:13:58economy, and also what is happening in Syria.
00:14:02Today, the investor counts to ten because
00:14:05he is facing a situation that
00:14:08is neither war nor peace in this region especially,
00:14:11and therefore it is not easy for an investor to put
00:14:15his money in a geography that is not
00:14:17stable. In addition to that,
00:14:21the global economic cycle that is going through something like
00:14:25a recession, from time to time, also indicates
00:14:28that there is a global recession. And let's not forget
00:14:32the conflicts or the Chinese-American conflict in light
00:14:36of also, what the American voter
00:14:39did in rejecting Trump's policies, and therefore
00:14:42the joy in both Russia and China. All these
00:14:46facts mean that the region's economy is an economy that
00:14:49is linked to it, and we know that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
00:14:52the Arabian Gulf, and Syria are trying
00:14:57At the same time, America and Israel insist on knocking
00:15:00on the doors of war with Iran. And this knocking on the doors of peace
00:15:04is not only because it has a moral and religious character, but also
00:15:07an economic character, because those who will suffer, Israel dances
00:15:11with joy, it wants a war in the Gulf region,
00:15:13perhaps a big conflict will happen between Iran and the Gulf
00:15:17countries, and thus the Gulf economy will be destroyed, or so
00:15:20on. From here, today we cannot look at this
00:15:24agreement except in light of what is happening globally and what is happening
00:15:28regionally, and what is the timing in which
00:15:32the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia made such loans and investments
00:15:35in the most difficult and critical stage.
00:15:38This is proof first of strategic cooperation between the two countries,
00:15:41confidence in the Syrian government, and the desire to say, O
00:15:45Syrian brother, O Syrian people, I am by your side, not
00:15:48just in words, but in deeds, and
00:15:50days come and go, and the world turns.
00:15:54And the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
00:15:57the relationship between Syria and the Kingdom, this
00:16:00is very important because it gives an indication that
00:16:03this relationship is not momentary or fleeting
00:16:07or linked to this circumstance or that, but
00:16:10it is a strategic relationship. Therefore, the development
00:16:13of Syria and taking its hand so that it rises and moves
00:16:17forward and recovers is not a fleeting
00:16:20matter or a matter, but it is at the core of the Saudi
00:16:23strategy. And perhaps we remember the positions of His Royal
00:16:27Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman when, the meeting of the Syrian
00:16:31President with Trump, in addition to the successive visits, standing by
00:16:34Syria, the Saudi ministers who came, raising the level
00:16:38of diplomatic representation, encouraging Saudi investors, and also
00:16:43in the Kingdom, all these are messages. This time,
00:16:47these are practical messages, not words, and not
00:16:50visits. Perhaps we heard, I will be frank with you,
00:16:54I heard from many Syrian citizens, I am the Syrian citizen
00:16:59the street, I don't care about the many Syrian diplomatic visits, but I care about
00:17:02a decent living. Yes, but a decent living
00:17:06and improving the economic situation cannot happen except with successful
00:17:10diplomacy, with diplomacy
00:17:14countries, dialoguing with countries, and searching for common ground and strengthening
00:17:17this common ground and presenting mature projects. Perhaps
00:17:20the citizen is eager for that, and that is his right, because a decent living
00:17:24is one of the hardest things, especially for those who have children. But without these
00:17:28presenting projects to countries that
00:17:32care about us, things cannot
00:17:36move forward. And from
00:17:39the Saudi Development Fund is very
00:17:42important, with an easy loan as well. The loan is easy and the repayment
00:17:46is also easy, and this not only reveals a strategic
00:17:49dimension, but also reveals that you are facing a brother who wants you to
00:17:52rise and move forward, and at the same
00:17:55time, it is not a matter of aid or so on, but a matter
00:17:59of a loan, and therefore it is satisfactory for the policies of both countries and the strategies
00:18:02of both countries, and we don't know after a quarter of a century, perhaps something new will happen
00:18:08not arrange, for example, the President was clear,
00:18:11we do not want international loans, because often international
00:18:15loans, and this is a very important point, international loans, whether
00:18:18from the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, have political conditions behind them.
00:18:22Today, our brothers in the Kingdom, we share values, principles, ethics,
00:18:27this loan is for the development of the country without conditions related
00:18:31to the structure of society or so on. Dr. Mahmoud, in addition
00:18:35to these agreements, we witnessed the meeting between President Ahmed Al-Sharaa
00:18:38and a number of representatives of Chinese companies. Have we
00:18:41really moved, Dr., to a stage of attracting
00:18:45real investment in Syria, or is the road still
00:18:48long to achieve
00:18:50that?
00:18:52There is no doubt that the reception of His
00:18:56Excellency the President of the Chinese delegation is giving
00:19:00a signal that Syria has indeed started to move from the stage of exploring
00:19:03investment opportunities to the stage of building more
00:19:06serious economic partnerships. But in my opinion, it is too early
00:19:09to consider every meeting with foreign
00:19:13materialize on the ground. The meeting between His Excellency the President
00:19:16and representatives of Chinese companies carries a very important economic
00:19:19significance because China has extensive experience in building
00:19:23power plants, transportation, telecommunications, and industrial
00:19:26zones, which are sectors that the Syrian economy urgently
00:19:29needs. But there are basic stages that we always distinguish between,
00:19:33which are three: first, the interest of companies in the Syrian market;
00:19:37the second stage is signing contracts and securing funding; and the last
00:19:41stage is starting actual implementation. The third stage
00:19:44is what determines the size of real investment. For example,
00:19:49worth 403 million dollars provide developmental
00:19:53funding for specific projects, while potential
00:19:57Chinese commercial investment will require studying
00:20:00returns, risks, and mechanisms for recovering
00:20:04capital. And here it is important to realize that Chinese
00:20:07companies, like other international
00:20:10decisions based on opportunities alone, but rather they look
00:20:14at the stability of legislation, the possibility of transferring
00:20:18profits, the availability of electricity, ensuring
00:20:22contract execution, and purchasing power in the market. Therefore,
00:20:26environment, in my opinion, is no less important than promoting
00:20:30projects. And what is striking is that the Syrian-Chinese
00:20:33forum witnessed the participation of representatives from 16
00:20:36Chinese companies, and this is
00:20:39a very great interest in studying opportunities,
00:20:42but it does not mean that 16 projects have entered the implementation
00:20:46phase. And the most important opportunity for Syria is that cooperation
00:20:50should not be limited to importing equipment, but should extend
00:20:54to establishing joint factories, transferring
00:20:57technology, and also, very importantly, training Syrian labor and linking
00:21:01local production to foreign markets. Every new
00:21:04factory must contribute to providing job opportunities,
00:21:08reliance on imports. In return, it is necessary
00:21:11to address banking and financing obstacles, accelerate
00:21:14licensing procedures, and present well-studied projects
00:21:18with clear returns. Therefore, the path towards attracting
00:21:22widespread investment, in my opinion, still requires institutional
00:21:25work, but we are facing indicators of interest
00:21:28that are worth building on.
00:21:31The real economic test during the coming period is not the number of delegations,
00:21:35but the size of capital. I want to move on, Professor
00:21:38Jasser, and the conclusion is from
00:21:46if you allow me, if the region, Professor Jasser, moves towards
00:21:50de-escalation and security tensions disappear, are we facing
00:21:53an Arab geo-economic reality that is possible
00:21:57and Syria will be part of it?
00:21:59If you allow me, Hiba, I have a comment for my colleagues. The Kingdom
00:22:03has completed ten years of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 today.
00:22:07The Kingdom, in all the programs it participates in, is based on objective, studied
00:22:10plans and set goals, not just
00:22:14anything. So, this Saudi-Syrian cooperation is based on a clear,
00:22:17well-defined program, where it will begin, where
00:22:21it will end, and what it will achieve, and also
00:22:25including the obstacles and difficulties that may hinder or impede
00:22:28its achievement in some way. The region may be heading
00:22:32towards stability, or it may be heading towards
00:22:34a crisis. The main bet is on the solidity of internal
00:22:38positions, on our ability to face these challenges. We are not
00:22:42managing these challenges. We can deal with their
00:22:45risks. So, here, the amounts will be paid. No, I think
00:22:49it was a joint study of all
00:23:00the details. Countries do not deal emotionally. They deal according to matters
00:23:12I would like to add to the words of my colleagues who talked
00:23:16about Syria today, even though it is in dire
00:23:20need of any amount or any investment for the reconstruction
00:23:23of a country that was destroyed by more than 95%
00:23:26in all aspects of life or infrastructure.
00:23:29However, I remember, and I had the honor
00:23:33of attending several occasions where President Ahmed Al-Sharaa was present,
00:23:36whether at the IFA conference in Riyadh or even
00:23:40in Davos or even in the United States of America,
00:23:43I had the opportunity to attend meetings where he was present. One of the best
00:23:47things I heard was that Syria does not
00:23:51want to resort to what some
00:23:57or on loans that the brothers called international loans, and I,
00:24:01personally, call them poisoned loans that shackle countries
00:24:04and partially impede something of
00:24:07their sovereignty. Therefore, I am happy with the vision
00:24:10that the leadership in Syria possesses, by relying on
00:24:14the real opportunities that the Syrian economy has and working
00:24:17to attract investors through
00:25:59In a pivotal historical moment,
00:26:02Damascus turned a long page of absence,
00:26:06and regained its voice and its free
00:26:09decision.
00:26:13The responsibility of the media is no longer limited to reporting
00:26:17news only, but has become linked to verifying
00:26:20information and presenting it with clarity,
00:26:24balance,
00:26:25and safety.
00:26:29We assure you that Syria's transition today
00:26:33from the presidency to the seat of an active member will witness
00:26:36a redoubled Syrian presence, out of our belief
00:26:40in joint action in our Arab surroundings.
00:27:30Partnerships between Syrian and German
00:27:32universities.
00:27:38Israeli occupation forces penetrate with nine vehicles into Al-Hurriya
00:27:42village in the northern Quneitra countryside,
00:27:46in Al-Rafid the restrictions
00:27:48on the residents.
00:27:54Inauguration of the rubble recycling unit in Darayya and launching
00:27:58a project for the removal and recycling of more than 25
00:28:04Al-Zabadani in the Damascus countryside.