Syria’s new government unveiled a sweeping reconstruction drive on Thursday, staging a high-profile fundraiser at Damascus Citadel and pledging to rebuild the nation after more than a decade of war and the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime last December.

The launch of the Syrian Development Fund was broadcast live nationwide and shown on outdoor screens in provincial centers. Organizers said the fund aims to finance the return of displaced Syrians, restore farmland, and rebuild shattered cities — a vision that new President Ahmad al-Sharaa cast as a break with decades of authoritarian rule and corruption.

“There is a beautiful meaning in holding this event at Damascus Citadel,” al-Sharaa said, invoking the medieval fortress seized by rebels during the campaign that toppled Assad. “We stand on the precipice of a new phase — the phase of construction and rebuilding — where we write Syria’s new history with our own hands, our own money and our own efforts. The previous regime destroyed our economy, looted our wealth, demolished our homes and scattered our people into camps.”

In a symbolic gesture, four luxury cars once belonging to Assad were auctioned to fund the initiative. Among them were a Mercedes SL 65 AMG and a Ferrari F50 — vehicles valued at roughly $20 million. “These cars are being returned to the people,” officials said, as bids poured in from wealthy Syrians and diaspora donors.

By the close of the evening, the campaign had raised $61 million. Contributions came not only from private donors and families but also from senior government officials. First Lady Latifa al-Droubi pledged $5,000 of her own money.

Safwat Raslan, director of the fund, described the launch as “an unprecedented national moment.” He pledged that the fund would be a symbol of transparency and accountability in contrast to Assad’s notorious kleptocracy.

“We are at the beginning of a new stage: rebuilding after destruction,” Raslan said. “With your support, the fund will become a symbol of transparency and stability.”

Al-Sharaa insisted that the effort was not about foreign charity but about reclaiming Syria’s future. “We are not here to beg for charity for Syria,” he said. “We are here to remind ourselves and you of the duty of this moment.”

The sight of Assad’s luxury cars going under the hammer — vehicles once hoarded as symbols of elite privilege — was meant to drive home that the spoils of dictatorship are being reclaimed for the nation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)