Companies from the United Arab Emirates are taking part in the Damascus International Trade Fair, state media has said, months after their embassy reopened in the Syrian capital.
On Wednesday, a delegation of around 40 businessmen from the UAE arrived in Damascus "to take part in the international fair", pro-government Al-Watan newspaper said.
Late Thursday, a Syrian employee of an Emirati company said it was his firm's first time at the Damascus fair.
"We came with a high-level delegation from the Emirates led by the Emirati Federation of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry," he told AFP at the fair.
The UAE reopened its Damascus embassy in December after a break of almost seven years.
Syrian state news agency SANA says some 1,700 companies from over 30 countries are taking part in this year's trade fair, which opened on Wednesday and runs to Sept. 6.
Damascus is looking to rebuild a large swathe of war-torn Syria after a series of Russia-backed victories against rebels and militants since 2015, despite a raft of international sanctions.
The United States Tuesday warned of possible U.S. sanctions against any participants at the commercial event.
"We've received reports that some regional businessmen or chambers of commerce plan to participate in Damascus international trade fair," the U.S. Embassy for Syria said on Twitter.
"We reiterate our warning that anyone doing business w/ Assad regime or its associates is exposing themselves to the possibility of U.S. sanctions," it said.
Washington has slapped sanctions on Syrians close to the Damascus government and sought to hamper oil shipping to the country.
At the opening on Wednesday, Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis visited event sections dedicated to government allies Iran and Russia, as well as the UAE and Oman's chamber of commerce.
Asked about the American threats, he said they were not new and denounced an "agenda of sabotage and destruction", according to SANA.
The UAE broke ties with Syria in February 2012.
Eight years of war in Syria have killed 560,000 people and driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6 million as refugees to neighbouring countries.
With AFP
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