4th Armored Division, Maher Assad

October 2023

The Syrian state has witnessed the countries economic output fall 96% since 2011. This has utterly devastated the government's revenue base and has forced the government, under increasing sanctions, to pursue alternative finance schemes.

Maher Assad, one of the closest confidantes of President Bashar al Assad, has long been in charge of Syria's new commercial enterprises. The Fenethylline production sector has rapidly eclipsed all other economic activities in the regime. Fenethylline exports represent 5.7 billion in USD and provide the overwhelming share of the Government's hard currency.

While Syria controls 80% of the global Fenethylline market, it is necessary to diversify the activities of the states revenue procurement service. Maher Assad has begun the construction of a Fentanyl production facility in Baniyas, an important port city and center of the petrochemical sector in Latakia.

This new facility will make use of modern Fentanyl synthesis technology, mainly the continuous flow method. It is hoped that this new safer and scalable method will increase throughput and efficiency, granting Syria a competitive edge in the Fentanyl market. The Baniyas Pharmaceutical plant will operate with security provided directly by the regime and hopefully return quickly on its 120 million dollars of start up capital over the next 2 years.