Country Profile

The civil war in Syria has led to the establishment of four distinct areas of territorial control. It has also fundamentally reshaped the country’s politics-business nexus, exemplified by the ascendency of a new class of business tycoons and the emergence distinct forms of corruption.

While characteristics of state capture were established features of Syria’s political economy long before the 2011 civil war, the war economy has created new opportunities for corruption. These manifest in the systemic diversion of international aid, illicit trade including drug and arms smuggling, human trafficking, and exploitation of volatile exchange rates. Key sectors affected by corruption encompass international aid distribution, public procurement, security, justice, and healthcare.