DAMASCUS, (SANA)_ The total sum of investment activities in Syria's free-zones reached nearly to 36 billion Syrian Pounds (SP), imports reached to 8 billion (SP), exports to 13 billion SP, declared Syria's Free Zones' General Director, Abdulhakim Qaddah.

Interviewed by SANA's economic bulletin, Qaddah said that the sum of foreign capital invested in the zones reached to about 24.889 million USD. The number of investors reached to 1174: 984 trade investors, 86 industrial investors, 104 investors in services sector, added the official.

The number of foreign companies inside the zones stood at 65 companies, and the number of workers is 659, said Qaddah, declaring that the zones revenues for the year 2009 reached to 1.33 million SP.

Qaddah pointed out that development plans were designed as to improve Syria's free zones mechanism of work, to play active role in the ongoing process of social and economic growth, voicing hope that Syria, with its many free zones scattered all over the country, is to a regional investment hub.

The official disclosed that Syria's free zones are to be expanded, new industries inside the zones to be launched, other zones to be established, citing present studies as to establish a joint Syrian-Iraqi free zone, and a Syrian-Turkish one.

Al-Ibrahim