Welcome back
Damascus International Fair, the Syrian economy’s window to the world, is brought back to life again after several years of forced absence due to the takfiri terrorist war inflicted upon our country. The famous and well-reputed Fair has defied all the extremely harsh coercive economic measures imposed unilaterally on Syria to be revived and held, surpassing all the repercussions of the war and succeeding to attract many Arab and foreign companies to join its activities. Holding this edition is a proof of the return of security and stability to our country due to the victories made by the Syrian Arab Army and the resilience of the Syrian economic figures despite of all what they have been exposed to due to the terrorist war.
The holding of the Fair indicates the ability of the Syrian people to overcome the past stage and move to the stage of reconstruction. The re-launch of the Fair with this high local and international turnout is very symbolic and sends a message that the war in Syria is going to an end and that takfiri terrorism will be totally eliminated. The holding of the fair means that Syrian people are at the beginning of the road towards reconstruction. Launching the Fair with the attendance of official delegations and the participation of about 1,300 Arab and foreign businessmen and a large number of local economic figures from the public and private sectors relays a message that Syria is recovering rapidly and its factories and plants have returned to work effectively.
The Fair returns after six years of suspension, during which the Syrians have offered their blood and souls for the sake of the homeland, its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inauguration of this fair and the wide local and international participation officially declares the failure of the war which targets the Syrian people’s determination and steadfastness. Inaugurating this great event sends a message to the entire world that the Syrian people’s will of life is stronger than terrorism. The high turnout to the Fair is a positive indicator of its success, and another indicator is the number of states and companies participating in it, which amounts at 45 Arab and foreign countries and over 1,562 companies. This also confirms that Syria has entered the stage of recovery and victory. The holding of the fair reflects the determination of industrialists who headed to their factories and workshops to rehabilitate and rerun them and the positive contribution of the youth through the launching of several national initiatives in the fields of humanitarian aid and development.
Charged with innovation and success on the local and regional level, the Fair, since its inception in 1954 until its latest edition held in 2017, is considered a reference for time and place memory in the Middle East region and for social and popular memory on the local level, in addition to being an artistic and cultural event that many Syrian and Arab writers and intellectuals await every year. According to Decree no 14 for 1953, only one edition of the Damascus International Fair was supposed to be held, which actually took place in 1954. However, after the successes and benefits it achieved, it was decided that the Fair should be held periodically by Law No. 40 for 1955, which stipulated for establishing the Directorate of the Damascus International Fair and its lottery event. In the early sixties of twentieth century, the Syrian artists raised in Umayyad Square in the center of the Capital a monument of Damascene Sword as a symbol of the city’s power and resistance. This monument of Damascene Sword has two wide fronts, ornamented with transparent colored plastic pieces. The western front overlooks the Umayyad Square, while the eastern one overlooks the main entrance of Damascus International Fair.
On the sidelines of the editions of the Fair, special stamps were issued and music concerts and artistic shows for well-known Arab and international teams were held at the art stage of the Fair. In 1958, Damascus International Fair became a member of the International Fairs Union and in 1970 it achieved a qualitative leap in terms of the increased number of the participating companies and countries that covered the five continents.
With the passage of years, and with the great crowding inside Damascus city, there was necessity to find a new place with wide spaces to fit the increasing of the participating countries and exhibitors, in addition to the international and Syrian companies, as well as the great number of visitors. The new Fairground is one of the biggest worldwide spreading over 1.2 million sq.m located on the Highway between Damascus and the International Airport. This state-of-the-art fairground enjoys exhibition hall, services and facilities according to the most modern global standards. The new Fairgrounds provides all the necessary services for the business visitors, exhibitors and the organizers. There are warehouses, custom and workshops, business center, press center, restaurants and cafes, and parking: 11.000 sqm with a capacity of 1800 cars.
K.Q.