Free Zones And Obstacles To Attracting Foreign Direct Investment

Abstract

The research aims to study the reality of the Syrian free zones in terms of their concept, types, objectives and history of establishment, and to study the reality of the obstacles facing the free zones in Syria, to study the relationship between the free zones and investment and the legal provisions regulating them, and to highlight the importance of foreign investments in the free zones.

The study relied on the descriptive analytical approach, which is based on describing the phenomenon accurately and analyzing it to answer the objectives of the study and discuss its hypotheses. As for the data collection tools, they are represented in two aspects: The theoretical aspect: The researcher relied on Arab and foreign sources to cover the theoretical aspect, including books, studies, university dissertations and articles, and to benefit from the Internet, while in the applied aspect: The researcher relied on laws, decrees and reports published by the Investment Authority and the General Corporation for Free Zones in the Syrian Arab Republic. 

The study reached a number of results, the most important of which were: that the free zones in Syria faced many difficulties and challenges resulting from the heavy legacy of the war on Syria and the economic blockade, and that the free zones constitute a way to overcome these difficulties facing investment in them and are considered a suitable starting point due to the appropriate legal and legislative independence they enjoy. The next stage is a suitable stage for strongly introducing the free zones in Syria if they are prepared well, especially since Syria enjoys natural components that increase the possibility of the success of these zones and give them many advantages to attract investments.

This research recommends that free zones should be given greater seriousness by decision makers, that they should be given media attention, that global promotional and marketing campaigns should be adopted, that existing free zones should be established, and that the geographical locations and natural resources of all Syrian regions should be taken advantage of.