Assad, business owners have been waiting for Washington to ease sanctions and pave the way for an economic renewal.

US President Donald Trump's announcement from Saudi Arabia about the United States easing wide-ranging sanctions on Syria sparked festivities in the capital, Damascus, as Syrians hoped for relief after years of impoverishment by civil war.

P resident Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, May 13, that he plans to end the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place for over 45 years. Announcing the news on the first day of his Middle East tour, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said he would be lifting sanctions “in order to give them [Syria] greatness.”