RIYADH: Would that be cash or card, Mr. President?
With a simple tap on a payment machine in Damascus, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa marked Syria’s removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism and the Arab country’s return to the global financial system.
In a video release early on Thursday, Al-Sharaa used a Visa card to pay for coffee as he sat with Safwat Raslan, the Syrian Arab Republic’s central bank governor.
Raslan posted the video on X, stating: “To witness this moment with His Excellency President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, and for the first payment using a Visa card to take place in the heart of Damascus on the day following Syria’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, is, for me, a feeling that is difficult to put into words.”
On Monday, the US, in a historic step, removed Syria from the list after 47 years, freeing the Arab nation from the severe economic consequences of the designation.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement: “Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.”
Rebels led by Al-Sharaa overthrew long-time Syrian ruler Bashar Assad in December 2024 after a devastating 13-year civil war.
Al-Sharaa welcomed the decision, stating: “Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding.”
