# Syria: CMA CGM to Operate Two Dry Ports in Adra and Aleppo **Category:** Country Report | **Source:** Frachtportal Redaktion | **Published:** 2026-05-24 | **Updated:** 2026-07-17 **Tags:** Syrien, Syria, CMA CGM, Dry Port Adra, Dry Poert Aleppo, Latakia, Mittelmeer Logistik, Zoll Syrien, Geopolitik, Frachtportal News, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Seefracht, Schienentransport, Digitalisierung, Zoll > Syria and CMA CGM expand logistics infrastructure. Two dry ports, a test train from Latakia to Adra, and the port of Latakia are coming into focus. --- Syria is once again gaining prominence on the logistics map of the Eastern Mediterranean. According to Reuters, the Syrian General Authority for Borders and Customs has signed an agreement with the French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM. The aim is to operate two Dry Ports in the free zones of Adra near Damascus and Aleppo. The agreement is more than just a typical port announcement. It integrates maritime freight, inland logistics, customs processing, rail transport, and the economic reconstruction of a country whose infrastructure has been severely damaged and disrupted for many years. Dry Ports serve as key inland terminals where containers and other goods can be processed, stored, cleared through customs, and prepared for further transport. Ideally, they alleviate congestion at seaports, reduce waiting times, and bring customs processes closer to industry and trade. The Adra location is particularly important. The city is situated near Damascus and is relevant as an industrial and logistics hub. Aleppo, on the other hand, was one of Syria's most important economic and industrial centers before the war. If both locations can be more effectively connected to the port of Latakia, this could enable new flows of goods within Syria and across the Mediterranean in the medium term. In parallel to the Dry Port agreement, a test freight train connection between the port of Latakia and Adra has been initiated. According to Reuters and regional reports, this connection had been interrupted for about 14 years due to the Syrian civil war. The first experimental freight train reached Adra on May 19, 2026. The port of Latakia also plays a central role in this context. In 2025, CMA CGM had already secured a new agreement with Syria for the operation and modernization of the container terminal in Latakia. At that time, Reuters reported a duration of 30 years and investments of around 230 million euros over the contract period. Latakia is considered the most important Syrian seaport and thus serves as the natural starting point for a stronger connection between the port, rail, and inland terminals. For CMA CGM, Syria is not an entirely new market. The group has previously operated at the port of Latakia. However, what is new is the potential for stronger integration of the seaport, Dry Ports, and rail logistics. This combination is particularly attractive for international supply chains, as it concerns not only port operations but the entire movement of goods from ship to inland. Nevertheless, caution is warranted. The current Dry Port announcement is primarily based on statements from Syrian state media, which have been picked up by Reuters and industry outlets. According to Reuters, CMA CGM had initially not provided its own statement. Additionally, concrete operational details, start dates, capacities, investment amounts for the Dry Ports, or exact customs processes have not been broadly published. From a logistical perspective, however, the direction is clear. Syria is trying to reconnect its transport infrastructure more effectively with regional and international goods flows. The combination of the port of Latakia, inland terminals in Adra and Aleppo, and a reactivated rail connection could become an important building block. Whether this quickly leads to a reliable corridor for international shippers depends on stability, customs clarity, sanctions, insurance conditions, payment traffic, security, and operational implementation. --- This announcement is exciting for shippers, freight forwarders, and logistics service providers, but it does not yet serve as a free pass for regular business in Syria. The development indicates that work is actively being conducted on port, rail, and customs infrastructure in Syria again. At the same time, political, legal, and operational risks remain high. Freight forwarders should monitor the situation, but plan shipments only with thorough compliance checks, clear sanction clarifications, and reliable local partners. Shippers should not only look at new infrastructure but also at payment channels, insurance, documentation, customs capability, and recipient verification. For private individuals, the topic is primarily relevant indirectly, such as with aid deliveries, relocation goods, or household goods. Here too, transport capability does not automatically mean legal or customs security. The interesting point is the combination. A port alone changes little. A port with rail connections, dry ports, customs processing, and an international operator can create a new logistical framework. This is precisely why the announcement is so relevant for the region. --- The agreement concerns two dry ports in the free zones of Adra near Damascus and Aleppo. The contracting party on the Syrian side is the General Authority for Borders and Customs. Reuters identifies the agency as the signatory of the agreement. CMA CGM is to manage and operate the dry ports. The goal is to support logistics and trade. The announcement coincided with the launch of a test freight train connection between Latakia and Adra. The route had been interrupted for about 14 years. The first experimental freight train reached Adra on May 19, 2026, according to regional reports following the resumption of technical work on the route. CMA CGM had already concluded a 30-year agreement in 2025 for the modernization and operation of the Port of Latakia. Reuters reported investments of around 230 million euros at that time. According to Reuters, CMA CGM was initially unavailable for comment regarding the dry port agreement. This is significant as there have primarily been Syrian state statements and media reports so far. The EU restored the full application of the cooperation agreement with Syria from 1977 in May 2026. Reuters places this in the context of renewed European rapprochement following political changes in Syria. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Syria](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/sy) ### Seaports - [Al Ladhiqiyah (SY ALD)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/al-ladhiqiyah-port-sy-ald) ### Glossary - [Container](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/container) - [Container terminal](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/container-terminal) - [Port](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port) - [Shipping company](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/shipping-company) - [Sea freight](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sea-freight) - [Supply Chain](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/supply-chain) - [Goods](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/goods) - [Customs clearance](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/customs-clearance-5) - [Rail logistics](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/rail-logistics) - [Free Zone](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/free-zone) - [seaport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/seaport) - [port operation](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-operation) - [Port Operations](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-operations) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/syrien-cma-cgm-soll-zwei-dry-ports-in-adra-und-aleppo-betreiben-20260524163424](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/syrien-cma-cgm-soll-zwei-dry-ports-in-adra-und-aleppo-betreiben-20260524163424)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/syrien-cma-cgm-soll-zwei-dry-ports-in-adra-und-aleppo-betreiben-20260524163424](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/syrien-cma-cgm-soll-zwei-dry-ports-in-adra-und-aleppo-betreiben-20260524163424)*