DP World to breathe new life into Syria's Port of Tartus

The UAE-based logistics heavyweight DP World has signed a 30-year concession agreement with Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports to develop and operate the Port of Tartus.

As part of the agreement, DP World plans to invest $800 million over the duration of the concession to upgrade the port’s infrastructure and position it as a ‘critical’ regional trade hub connecting Southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Following over a decade of conflict and long-standing underinvestment in trade infrastructure, the redevelopment of Tartus marks an important step in Syria’s economic reintegration. Structured as a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model and fully owned by DP World, the project will include new infrastructure, advanced cargo-handling equipment, and digital systems to improve efficiency across the port’s container and general cargo terminals.

“This agreement reflects our long-term commitment to enabling global trade and creating resilient supply chains. We see strong potential in Tartus to serve as a vital trade gateway and look forward to strengthening regional connectivity and economic opportunity through this investment. We believe in the power