ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian Air announced on Friday the resumption of direct flights from Damascus to the United Arab Emirates, marking a step forward in Syria’s renewed regional engagement.
The flag carrier, in a post on Facebook, said it is “pleased to officially announce the resumption of direct flights between Syria and the United Arab Emirates, beginning Sunday, 20/04/2025, with routes to Dubai and Sharjah.”
Flights from Damascus to Dubai will operate four times a week with a plan to increase to seven flights weekly. Flights to Sharjah will begin three times a week, also with plans to expand to daily service. Damascus to Abu Dhabi flights are available twice a week, according to the statement.
“We assure our valued customers that we are working diligently to add more flights as soon as possible, upon receiving the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities," the airline added.
Flights between Syria and the UAE were suspended in January.
Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa this week visited the UAE and met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The UAE cut diplomatic relations with Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2011 after its violent crackdown on anti-government protests but reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018. The UAE has taken a cautious approach with the new Syrian leadership.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - headed by Sharaa - in early December toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Assad. In late January, Sharaa was appointed as Syria’s interim president.
The UAE is one of the few Arab countries to have ties with Israel and could mediate between Israel and Syria.
After Assad was ousted, Israeli airstrikes have targeted Syria’s military stockpiles. Israel also sent troops across the border into a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a precaution amid the political instability in Syria. Israel’s actions have been condemned by Syrian authorities and the United Nations.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has documented 44 Israeli attacks on Syrian territory since the beginning of 2025, including 37 aerial strikes and six ground assaults. These operations have destroyed around 50 sites, including weapons depots, headquarters, command centers, and vehicles.
