Syria deepens logistics push with CMA CGM

Syria has signed an agreement with CMA CGM to operate two inland dry ports, widening the French shipping group’s role in rebuilding the country’s transport network and strengthening Damascus’s effort to reconnect trade routes after years of war and isolation.

The agreement covers the management and operation of facilities inside the free zones of Adra, on the outskirts of Damascus, and Aleppo, placing CMA CGM at two strategic inland nodes linked to Syria’s main commercial and industrial corridors. Dry ports allow customs processing, container handling and warehousing away from seaports, reducing congestion and making it easier for importers and exporters to move goods through road and rail networks.

The deal was announced alongside the launch of a trial freight train linking Latakia port, Syria’s principal maritime gateway, with Adra after a 14-year halt caused by the civil war. The restart of the route is a significant step for the country’s logistics system, which depends on functioning inland links to move goods from the coast to population centres and manufacturing zones.

The latest arrangement builds on CMA CGM’s expanding presence in Syria. The Marseille-based group secured a 30-year agreement in 2025 to modernise and operate Latakia port, with planned investment of about €230 million over the concession period. That contract included work to improve terminal capacity, deepen berths and upgrade equipment at a port that has long handled most of Syria’s container traffic.

For Damascus, the Adra and Aleppo dry ports are part of a wider attempt to turn transport infrastructure into an anchor for economic recovery. Adra offers direct access to the capital region, while Aleppo remains central to the country’s industrial base despite the heavy damage it sustained during the conflict. Restoring customs and logistics capacity in both areas could help revive trade flows, support manufacturers and shorten delivery times for essential goods.

CMA CGM’s position gives the project commercial weight. The company is among the world’s largest container shipping and logistics groups, with operations across shipping, terminals, warehousing and supply-chain services. Its involvement also carries a historical dimension: the Saadé family behind the group has roots in Syria, and the company has maintained a presence at Latakia through years of sanctions, conflict and shifting political conditions.

The agreement comes as Syria seeks to normalise economic relations with external partners following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the emergence of a new administration under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. European measures have eased substantially, with economic sanctions lifted while restrictions remain on individuals and entities tied to the former regime. The European Union has also restored the full application of its cooperation agreement with Syria, reviving a framework for trade and economic relations that had been partially suspended in 2011.

Reintegration, however, remains uneven. Banks, insurers and global logistics companies still face compliance risks, and many investors are waiting for clearer rules on dispute resolution, customs administration, currency transactions and security guarantees. Syria’s transport network also needs extensive rehabilitation after years of damaged roads, disrupted rail lines, weakened institutions and low public investment.

The economic need is acute. Syria’s physical reconstruction bill has been estimated at more than $200 billion, while output remains far below pre-war levels. Trade recovery depends not only on ports and railways but also on predictable border procedures, reliable power supply, functioning industrial zones and access to finance. Dry ports can ease bottlenecks, but they cannot by themselves resolve the wider constraints facing businesses.

The Adra and Aleppo facilities could nevertheless give Damascus a practical platform for rebuilding customs revenue and restoring commercial discipline. Free zones are designed to attract traders by offering simplified procedures and tax advantages, and their revival would fit a broader strategy of using logistics hubs to reconnect Syria with Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Türkiye and Mediterranean shipping lanes.