Card payment as a symbol: Syria reconnects to global financial system

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa used a Visa card to buy coffee at a Damascus café this week, highlighting the country’s return to international financial networks following its removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, Euronews reported.

Al-Sharaa made the card payment while accompanied by Central Bank Governor Mohammed Safwat Raslan. The government presented the transaction as a symbol of Syria’s renewed access to financial services after years of restrictions.

This followed the U.S. State Department’s removal of Syria from the terrorism list on Monday after a 45-day congressional review. The country had held the designation since 1979. The U.S. also removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former paramilitary group that led the offensive that toppled the Assad government, from a separate terrorism list.

U.S. financial institutions can now provide services to Syrian clients, process transactions involving the country’s banks and establish correspondent banking relationships, according to the U.S. Treasury.

The European Union has also eased restrictions on Syria, lifting most economic sanctions in May 2025. Some measures remain in place against individuals linked to the former government, while restrictions related to security concerns also remain.