The Iraqi Border Ports Authority announced on Sunday (May 3rd) the launch of the first shipment of Iraqi cement to Syria through the Al-Waleed International Border Crossing, in an indication of a new phase of regional economic openness between Damascus and neighboring countries.
In a statement published through its official IDs, the Authority pointed out that the Alwaleed port currently enjoys advanced technical and administrative readiness that qualifies it to play a pivotal role in facilitating the flow of goods and promoting commercial activity between Syria and Iraq after an 11-year hiatus.
According to the head of the authority, Omar Adnan al-Waeli, who supervised the export process, "this step represents a positive indicator of the success of the regulatory and control measures in managing the ports, and reflects the level of cooperation and integration between the Iraqi and Syrian sides."
This development comes after the official reopening of the Alwaleed port on April 2, 2026, following a closure that lasted more than a decade due to security conditions, and the port witnessed a trial opening on March 31 by crossing the first crude oil tankers towards Syria, before it became fully operational.
The crossing is a strategic link between Iraq's Anbar province and the al-Tanf area in Syria's Homs province, and is the third crossing to be reactivated between the two countries after al-Qaim-al-Bukamal and Rabia-al-Yarubiya as part of a plan to revive trade across the common border.
Syria regains its role as a transit crossing
The resumption of exports through the Al-Waleed port is part of a broader trend toward economic integration between Iraq and Syria, which includes energy, transport and trade, and joint committees have been formed to coordinate work at the border and improve the flow of goods.
Despite security, logistical and political challenges, official sources believe that continued coordination between the two countries may contribute to gradually overcoming obstacles and opening the door to a new phase of regional cooperation.
This route allows Syria to boost transit toll revenues and stimulate transport and trade through its territory, restoring its traditional role as a regional gateway to the Mediterranean and global markets.
The operation of the port also strengthens Syria's position as a transit corridor between Lebanon and Europe, at a time when some maritime export routes are facing major challenges, especially after the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the near-total halt to navigation in it.
Implications for the Syrian Cement Industry
The Syrian cement sector is witnessing a decline in production due to the lack of energy and the deterioration of the industrial infrastructure, and the local production is only about 10,000 tons per day, compared to an annual need of between 8 and 9 million tons during the reconstruction phase, which creates a clear gap between supply and demand and pushes towards imports to cover the shortage.
A limited number of government and private laboratories are operating at a capacity not exceeding 60% of their design capacity, which prompts the import of clinker to cover part of the demand.
While prices have recorded high levels over the past years, reaching about $170 per ton, they witnessed a relative decline in 2026 to range between $100 and $120, as a result of a partial improvement in production and regulatory interventions, accompanied by an increasing investment movement, with an official trend to rehabilitate existing factories and offer them to partnerships with the private sector, in parallel with the launch of new projects and the development of modern types of production.
12 companies compete to invest in the Al-Muslimiya and Adra factories
On March 13, 2026, the Director of the General Company for the Manufacture and Marketing of Cement and Building Materials "Omran", Mahmoud Fadhila, revealed that 12 Arab and foreign companies have applied to invest in the "Al-Muslimiya" factories in Aleppo and "Adra" in the Damascus countryside, explaining that the process of evaluating companies applying for investment is subject to scientific criteria, and according to accurate technical and financial foundations, in order to choose the most suitable and efficient, for the benefit of the cement sector in Syria, in light of the reconstruction phase that the country will witness during the next phase.
The Investment Authority also announced on April 29, 2026, the start of trial production at the Tartous Cement Factory, after the completion of the initial maintenance works and the launch of the comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the production lines, to develop qualitative projects in the cement sector and its vital sectors, localize the latest international technologies in the national industry, in addition to creating new job opportunities and advancing sustainable development.