One Authority, One Gate: The Legal Roadmap for Property Developers in Syria

One Authority, One Gate: The Legal Roadmap for Property Developers in Syria

Damascus – 10 October 2026 – CIP

On 1 July 2026, the Syrian Investment Authority issued Circular No. 283, laying down a single governing rule for the real estate development sector: the Authority is the sole body empowered to supervise it.

The circular — also numbered 83/S/11003 — did more than declare jurisdiction. It set out the conditions for launching any project and defined the penalties for violators.

Where does the authority come from?

The circular grounds its exclusive mandate in Law No. 2 of 2023, which abolished the General Authority for Real Estate Development and Investment and transferred all of its functions to the Syrian Investment Authority.

The wider legal framework governing the sector:

• Law No. 18 of 2021: the Investment Law — Syria’s unified investment umbrella, whose scope covers real estate development and investment projects

• Law No. 2 of 2023: amendments to the Investment Law simplifying real estate development procedures — and the law that abolished the former development authority

• Decree No. 114 of 2025: amending several articles of Investment Law No. 18 of 2021 and its amendments

• Decree No. 115 of 2025: establishing the Supreme Council for Economic Development — the body that creates real estate development and investment zones by decree

The licensing checklist: what does a developer need?

Under the circular, no real estate development and investment project may be launched until two conditions are met:

• A decree establishing a real estate development and investment zone, issued by the Supreme Council for Economic Development on the Authority’s proposal

• A duly licensed real estate developer and investor, licensed by the Syrian Investment Authority

Until all legal procedures are completed and approvals obtained, the following are prohibited: launching the project, advertising off-plan unit sales, or opening escrow accounts.

Off-plan sales: Law No. 25 of 2011

The Authority reported projects being marketed and sold off-plan without official licenses — a violation of the provisions of Law No. 25 of 2011.

Article 17 (first) of the law imposes on violators:

• Imprisonment of 3 to 6 years

• A fine of 500,000 to 1,000,000 Syrian pounds

The penalties cover: offering a real estate project for public subscription without the Authority’s prior approval, selling residential units off-plan in breach of the law, using false documents, falsifying financial data or concealing material facts, marketing units in fictitious projects, embezzlement or obtaining funds without right, and opening escrow accounts without a license — and they extend to developers, consultants, auditors and promoters.

In return, the law protects subscribers through the escrow account: all instalments and payments are deposited in a dedicated account opened for that purpose — a point confirmed by Syrian Engineers Syndicate head Malek Haj Ali in his comments on the circular.

What comes next?

In September 2026, Syrian Investment Authority chairman Ahmad Rawad Ramadan announced the “Real Estate Investment Practice System” at the opening of Imaar 2026 — a follow-up step to regulate the sector, strengthen confidence in the investment environment and protect the rights of investors and citizens.

The bottom line

The message is clear: no real estate development outside the Investment Authority’s gate — the zone-creation decree first, the developer’s license second, and the escrow account as the subscriber’s guarantee. Selling off-plan without them means prison and fines.

Note: this is a journalistic reading of the circular and the cited laws, not legal advice.

Prepared by: Construction & Investment Prime (CIP)

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