Nibal Bakfalouni

In front of a wall filled with shrapnel beside a huge hall caused by a bomb young men are removing the wreckage and paving the way for manufacturers to come back to this industrial city in a Damascus suburb. There are many happy faces here but a special glitter of joy is seen in the eyes of the man everybody knows he is behind that achievement; Haj Muhammad Al Sawwah. A few months ago, this man was elected Chairman of the Federation of Syrian Exporters. Under the blazing Ramadan sun, He asked me what was my opinion? I said “You are reviving an entire life and not only an industrial city.” He asks again “if this was an individual property, what do you believe the owner will do the day this city is free from armed groups? And he answers for me “He will definitely bring life back to it the same day because every hour’s delay is a waste of production, job opportunities and money.”

My friend, Falah asked me about my feeling, I said I always considered industry as the backbone of national economy and production. This call for more optimism.

I see members of the Federation’s Board of directors Eyad Muhammad, Mazen Hammour and Nizar Saadeldeen everywhere explaining to media what was going on. Everyone who knew Sbeneh, where the Fadloun Farm was, would have said before this that the Hosh Blass Industrial City was dead. The place was occupied by terrorist groups that turned it into headquarter and safe haven where they made bombs and other killing tools. The huge sacrifices of the Syrian Army restored security to the place. Investors of the city were confused and did not know where to seek information and help. The Federation launched an initiative for reviving the city. It took no meeting nor committees but the sincere effort of the Federation represented by the chairman; Haj Al Sawwah and his amazing team with government support coming from the Minister of Economy Prof. Khuder Orfali and the Governor of Rural Damascus, Mr. Hussein Makhlouf.