AGP Executive Report
Last update: an hour agoSyria’s Visa/Mastercard comeback: Days after the U.S. removed Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list, Visa and Mastercard processed Syria’s first international card payments in more than 15 years, with the Syrian president reportedly making a Visa purchase in Damascus; QNB Group and Mastercard handled the first Mastercard payment, while Visa tested a live transaction via Lebanon’s Fransabank and local partner Paymera—an early signal for merchants and international visitors, though nationwide coverage is still pending. Syrian-Saudi investment push: President Ahmed al-Sharaa met the Saudi-Syrian Business Council as Syria seeks faster investment flows; talks also covered a planned joint Saudi-Syrian bank and direct standardized banking channels, alongside port and logistics cooperation. Regional trade momentum: Türkiye’s trade minister said Türkiye-Syria bilateral trade hit $3.75B in 2025 (+42% y/y), with Aleppo business talks focused on reconstruction support and longer-term commercial ties. Diplomatic backdrop: Türkiye’s UN envoy condemned Israel’s strikes on Syria while welcoming the U.S. delisting, and the U.S. urged Israel and Syria to de-escalate after Abu al-Duhur strikes. Policy ripple beyond Syria: The U.S. paused immigrant visa appointments globally, potentially affecting applicants across the Middle East, while a U.S. court also struck down a broad immigrant visa ban affecting 75 countries.
Note: AI summary from news headlines; neutral sources weighted more to help reduce bias in the result. Feedback is welcome. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions about the AGP Executive Report.
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