ENAB BALADI-Cindreella al-Palaa
Since the speech of an apartment crisis that is caused by the destruction of hundreds of thousands of houses either completely or in part in the past 14 years, the need for building materials is always urgently, especially when hundreds of thousands of displaced people and refugees return to settle down in their cities and villages.
The prices for building materials play a crucial role in whether people can repair or build houses, while the contours of the “reconstruction phase” are still unclear by the government, its institutions and international organizations.
At the beginning of the summer season, traditionally a peak time for the construction, the Syrian market recorded a remarkable decline in prices for important materials, which were immediately resumed depending on local conditions and financial capacities.
Revive a stagnant market
The latest decline in iron and cement prices has encouraged many families to resume long-delayed repairs or start a new house building, according to the contractor Ali Aliya, who works in the landscape of Damascus.
From the contractor's point of view, the decline in building material prices is a long -awaited opportunity to revive a market that has been stagnating for years.
Said Aliya Baladi“In the past, we only rely on a limited number of ongoing projects. Most of them left for years. However, with a sunken prices for some materials, we have decreased by about 20 to 30% that we received new inquiries almost weekly.”
Nevertheless, Aliya admits that he fears that the decline could only be tied temporarily and to shifts in the exchange rate or sudden state decisions, which many customers hesitate despite their urgent structure.
“The market is unstable. Any fluctuation in the pound or the change in taxes could wipe out this small boom. We hope that prices can stabilize so that we can continue to work without interruption,” he said.
Demand increases for structural designs
In the past, many families only limited themselves to the most important repairs, since the costs per square meter were unaffordable. Today, with falling iron and cement prices, “we see a stronger demand for structural designs and technical plans, also in rural areas,” the civil engineer Rami Atiya told Result in Baladi.
Atiya explained that the decline in building material prices in damaged city activities and in areas where projects were brought to a standstill for financial reasons.
He added that the sharp decline in iron and cement costs had marked a turning point in the construction state in parts of Syria. After years of stagnation and delays, some residential projects are on the right track again, and homeowners whose real estate have been damaged are seriously remembering the repair or reconstruction.
Baladi observed a clear difference in today's prices compared to a few months ago. In August 2024, an iron ton cost over $ 1,000, but has dropped to around 600 US dollars. The price for a ton of locally produced cement fell from about 140 US dollars to $ 120 at the end of 2024.
“The lower costs per square meter are a direct incentive for the revival of postponed projects,” said Atiya.
He added that the drop in the price was collapsed with the relative market stability that encouraged the families to make the decision for the construction, and the hope that the trend will continue and the prices will not rise again.
Change plans
Muntaha Shalash from Souq Wadi Barada (northwest of Damascus) said that she had postponed the renovation of her family's house due to the unaffordable costs of iron and cement. “Now I can plan to start over and this gives us hope for return and stability,” she said Baladi.
In the meantime, Mohammad Haidar from Zabadani (country in the landscape of Damascus), who resumed repairs in his destroyed house that the lower prices had resorted to the construction sector and gave people the opportunity to win back what they lost in the years of war and sperm despite other economic difficulties.
He believes that the decline will be a key factor for promoting construction and improving the quality of life in areas that are a reconstruction.
Samer Sheikhan, a resident of the landscape in Nordhama, said that he had never expected to rebuild his long -destroyed house after stopping the work with high iron and cement due to costs. With the recent price waste, however, he has rethought and plans to gradually rebuild.
Although there are many challenges in some areas, such as the lack of services and infrastructure Baladi.