Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa completed a credit card transaction at a café in Damascus's Old City on Thursday, using an American Visa card to pay for coffee in what appears to be one of the first international card payments processed in Syria in more than 15 years. The transaction took place in the presence of Mohammad Safwat Raslan, governor of Syria's central bank, and was documented in video footage released by the Syrian Foreign Media Department's official account.
The payment came just one day after Washington removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that had effectively cut the country off from the global financial system. The delisting opened the door for Syrian banks to reconnect with international payment networks that had been inaccessible throughout years of sanctions and civil conflict.
Raslan, who was appointed central bank governor in May, accompanied al-Sharaa during the café visit and described the moment as a "new beginning" for Syria's banking sector. Visa confirmed that it had successfully conducted a test of a live international transaction in Syria, working with both local and international partners to process the payment.
The symbolic gesture reflects the new Damascus administration's efforts to reintegrate Syria into the global economic community after years of international isolation that severely restricted ordinary financial activities for Syrian citizens and businesses.
