SyrianLaw.netJihad Pharaon Law Office · Damascus

FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS & FOREIGN COUNSEL

Invest in Syria: plan your legal entry

Turn an investment idea into a defined legal plan. Identify the right structure, the approvals to investigate and the risks to resolve before committing capital.

Request an entry assessmentExplore the planning checklist

Syria Investment Entry Assessment

Start with your proposed activity, ownership and intended investment route. Following a conflict check, we can agree a focused assessment and a written scope and fee proposal.

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  • Comparison of relevant entry structures and ownership questions.
  • Checklist of documents, registrations and sector approvals to investigate.
  • Prioritized legal risks, dependencies and questions for banks and other advisers.
  • Recommended next steps, with responsibilities and a proposed scope for further work.

Fees, timing and deliverables are agreed for each engagement. An enquiry does not create a lawyer–client relationship or confirm an appointment.

Three decisions to prepare before investing

1. Ownership, structure and licensing

Define the actual business activity before choosing a company, branch, acquisition or contractual partnership. The appropriate route depends on the investors, sector, operating model and current rules. Registration alone should not be treated as permission to carry out every activity.

  • Map the shareholders and ultimate beneficial owners, including nationality and corporate ownership chains.
  • Identify where the business will operate, what it will sell or import, and whether premises or sector approvals are needed.
  • Compare control, governance, liability, funding and exit arrangements across the available structures.
  • Separate incorporation, investment-related approvals, operational licences and tax or employment registrations in the project timetable.

Prepare: an ownership chart, activity summary, proposed location and any existing term sheet. Ask for current requirements to be confirmed against your specific project.

Read about foreign ownership

2. Banking, transfers and compliance

Legal permission and a bank’s willingness to process a payment are separate questions. OFAC states that comprehensive US sanctions on Syria have ended, while targeted sanctions remain. Other jurisdictions and export-control rules also require separate consideration.

  • Identify the countries, currencies, banks, counterparties and goods or services involved in each transaction.
  • Screen counterparties and their ownership under the regimes relevant to your transaction; repeat checks when circumstances change.
  • Ask the proposed banks about their own onboarding, source-of-funds and payment-document requirements before committing to a transfer timetable.
  • Plan evidence for capital contributions, shareholder loans, invoices and any intended distributions or exit proceeds.

Do not assume that a general policy change guarantees account opening, payment processing or repatriation. Obtain transaction-specific advice and confirmation from the banks involved.

Discuss legal due diligence

3. Acquisitions, joint ventures and project sites

A local partner or existing business can provide an entry route, but the proposed deal needs evidence behind the commercial terms. Organize legal due diligence before a binding commitment and identify which findings must be resolved before closing.

  • Verify corporate records, ownership, signatory authority and any encumbrances over shares or assets.
  • Review material contracts, licences, disputes, debt, employment issues and relevant tax records with the appropriate advisers.
  • For premises or land, verify title or lease rights, permitted use, encumbrances and the approvals relevant to the intended project.
  • Agree governance, reserved decisions, funding obligations, deadlock, dispute resolution and exit provisions; connect due-diligence findings to closing conditions.

Prepare: a target-company summary, proposed deal structure and a document index. Share confidential material only after conflict checks and agreed handling arrangements.

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Tell us about your investment

Send a short, non-confidential outline. Request an initial discussion or an assessment proposal; the office will confirm availability and scope separately.

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