Memorandum of Understanding with a Saudi Company for the Operation and Rehabilitation of Mills in Syria

  The Syrian Grains Corporation  signed a memorandum of understanding with  the Saudi Investment Company "Faz" today, Tuesday, May 12, to develop and operate a number of government mills in various Syrian governorates

The Ministry of Economy and Industry indicated in a Facebook post that the agreement includes the implementation of an integrated rehabilitation and development program through the introduction of modern production lines, the supply and installation of modern production lines and equipment, the operation, management and maintenance of mills, and the development of the flour and semolina production system.

The Ministry pointed out that the memorandum signed today would contribute to raising operational efficiency and productivity, and developing the flour production system within the public-private partnership system, according to the ministry.

 The first phase of the MoU includes "the rehabilitation and operation of 11 mills, including al-Yarmouk in Daraa province, al-Rashid in al-Raqa province, and the Idlib mill in Idlib province, with the aim of supporting the grain sector and enhancing food security", the ministry said.

Director of Syrian Grains: There is no need to import wheat this year

The authorities concerned with wheat in Syria are waiting for a bountiful season, as  the director of the Syrian Grains Foundation, Hassan Othman, confirmed  last week in statements to a newspaper that Syria does not need to import wheat this year at a minimum according to preliminary estimates, in light of positive indicators of the agricultural season and the reality of production so far.

The country's annual need for wheat is about 2.55 million tonnes, Othman said, noting that the quantities currently available, including marketed production and contracted quantities, are close to one million tonnes.

Othman estimated the quantities received so far at about 1.5 million tons, with expectations that production will improve in the coming period, in conjunction with the continuation of harvesting and supply operations.

1.268 million hectares awaiting harvest

 Data from the Ministry of Agriculture in May 2026 confirmed that the area actually cultivated with wheat is 1.268 million hectares, with an implementation rate of 86% of the total planned plan of 1.4 million hectares, indicating that rainfed agriculture was the biggest winner this year, after recording a qualitative leap driven by the improvement of rainfall, as the implemented area reached 763 thousand hectares with an implementation rate of 92% of the set plan.

On the other hand, irrigated agriculture came with a lower implementation rate of only 79%, with an implemented area of 505 thousand hectares, affected by energy challenges and the high costs of operating irrigation networks, which was directly reflected in the ability of farmers to adhere to the planned plan.

The northern and eastern regions stand out as the most important production weight of wheat in Syria, accounting for more than 55% of the total cultivated areas, and Al-Hasakah province comes out in the forefront with an area of 463,500 hectares, which strengthens its position as a strategic reservoir for grains in the country.

Official figures indicate that Syria has about 6.5 million hectares of arable land, equivalent to 32.8% of the country's area, distributed over five agricultural stability zones that vary in rainfall rates and productive capacity.