Brand Story Design for E-Commerce in Syria

Market Context — Syria

Syria (population approximately 22 million, capital Damascus) has been fundamentally transformed by the civil war that began in 2011 and by the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024 — when HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa/Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) led a rapid military offensive that reached Damascus on December 8, 2024, ending over 50 years of Assad family rule. The new transitional government faces an enormous reconstruction task: approximately 13 million Syrians remain displaced (internally and as refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, and other countries), infrastructure has been heavily damaged, and the economy is severely contracted. Historically, Syria was a significant producer of extra-virgin olive oil (from the Idlib and Latakia regions), Aleppo pepper (Capsicum annuum, the distinctive fruity-spicy red pepper flake endemic to the Aleppo/Azaz region), jasmine absolute (Damascene jasmine, Jasminum officinale grandiflorum, used in French perfumery), and Aleppo soap (Ghar — laurel berry oil and olive oil artisanal soap with GI significance). Damascus and Aleppo were historically major regional commercial hubs. Western sanctions relief following Assad's fall is under active policy discussion.