Shafaq News– Damascus

Syria’s land freight fleet handles about 50,000 cargo consignments monthly, the Transport Ministry said on Sunday, with plans underway to modernize the sector over the next five years.

Abdulhadi Al-Shahhada, director of the media department at the Transport Ministry, told Shafaq News that land freight plays an effective role in linking Syria with neighboring countries and serves as a transit corridor connecting Turkiye and Europe with the Gulf region. He pointed to several strengths in Syria’s freight system, foremost the large size of the trucking fleet, as well as the extensive experience of Syrian carriers in the transport sector.

Regarding challenges facing land freight companies, Al-Shahhada cited difficulties Syrian drivers face in obtaining entry visas to some countries, along with the impact of fees and taxes on the competitiveness of land transport, noting a direct inverse relationship between fee levels and freight activity. He also acknowledged several weaknesses, most notably the aging condition of much of the freight fleet and the high empty weight of many trucks.

On maritime transport, Al-Shahhada said services at Syrian ports remain “relatively low,” indicating limited operational capacity in terms of berth numbers and crane efficiency, as well as insufficient water depth to accommodate large vessels.

In November 2025, Syrian authorities revealed a series of trade and logistics measures, including contracts with CMA CGM to operate the Latakia container terminal and an $800 million investment agreement, and more than 500 investment opportunities.