By Samah Abdel Fattah | 2025-07-24

The Syrian people long for stability, an economic recovery and job opportunities, but this cannot be achieved without keeping the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) and other extremist groups at bay, experts said.

The protracted conflict has depleted the country's economy and its people, Syrian economist and Damascus University lecturer Mahmoud Mustafa told Al-Fassel.

The majority have fallen below the poverty line due to the lack of job opportunities, he said, noting that this was partly due to the control that some regime insiders exercised over key economic sectors.

This was compounded by a halt in the flow of investments, either due to a reluctance to deal with the regime of Bashar al-Assad or the sanctions imposed on Syria due to the regime's treatment of its people, he added.

These conditions created fertile ground for terror groups to infiltrate Syrian society by exploiting financial need and the atmosphere of resentment toward the regime and its security services, Mustafa said.

Although conditions are beginning to improve, with the partial lifting of sanctions and some investors signaling their desire to enter the Syrian market, everything hinges on preventing the return of ISIS, he said.

Syrian people demand stability

Terror groups seek to exploit security conditions in the countries where they hope to establish a foothold, King Abdulaziz University lecturer Faisal al-Khawaldi told Al-Fassel.

They do this directly, by carrying out attacks and creating chaos, or indirectly, by exploiting already tense conditions, he explained.

"This is what ISIS may do in Syria in the coming period if its plans are not thwarted," he said. "It is up to the security authorities and the new government to control the situation and eliminate the specter of terrorism once and for all."

Al-Khawaldi noted that the Syrian people seek security, safety and stability, in addition to economic prosperity after years of intense pressure. Yet these issues are fundamentally linked to the fight against terrorism.

Donor countries, and those willing to invest, are demanding the complete elimination of terrorism and stipulating that groups such as ISIS be prevented from staging a comeback, he said.

"The days ahead will be fateful for both the Syrian people and the Syrian state," he added.

"If the fight against terrorism is successful, sanctions will be gradually lifted, and investments will flow, allowing the economy to once again flourish and the Syrian people to enjoy prosperity after long years of oppression and theft of resources."