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Media Arabic Booster 01/25

This month (01/25) in Media Arabic Booster: The airplane disaster in the USA and an article discussing the return of businessmen linked to Bashar al-Assad to Syria.

byGerald Drißner

January 31, 2025

14 minute read

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Last updated: 4 days

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As a journalist, I read Arabic newspapers daily, especially the opinion section.

Every month, I want to share with you on Arabic for Nerds what I find interesting from a linguistic perspective and which vocabulary might be worth learning. I call it the Media Arabic Booster.

A close look at a headline

Headlines in Arabic media are generally easy to understand – but there are also some tricky words.

al-Shorouk (Egypt): Air plane crash in Washington DC

On January 30, 2025, a tragic accident happened in Washington, D.C., when an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Sadly, all 67 people on both aircraft lost their lives.

The Egyptian newspaper al-Shorouk featured it on the front page of their January 31 issue.

mab 01 25 airplan tragedy washington al shourouq clipping 1 — Egyptian daily al-Shorouk – frontpage 31st January 2025

Let’s focus on the headlines:

كارثة جوية فوق واشنطن

Air disaster over Washington

اِصْطِدامُ طائرة بِمِرْوَحِيَّةٍ عسكرية… وانتشال 28 قتيلا من نهر بوتومك… وترامب: وَضْعٌ رَهِيبٌ كان يُفْتَرَضُ تَجَنُّبُهُُ

A plane collides with a military helicopter… 28 dead people were pulled from the Potomac River… and Trump: A terrible situation that should have been avoided

al-Sharq al-Awsat: DeepSeek and the stock exchange

In January, the stock market showed many ups and downs after DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, announced that it created an AI model for much less money than the top models in the US.

On January 28, the Saudi-owned newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat (جريدة الشرق الأوسط), based in London and noted for its green-tinted pages, published a story in its economic section.

Let’s focus on the headlines:

»إنفيديا« تَكَبَّدَتْ أكبر خسارة يومية لشركة من قيمتها السوقية في التاريخ

Nvidia suffered the largest daily loss of a company’s market capitalization in history

»ديب سيك« الصيني لِلذَّكاءِ الاِصْطِناعِيِّ يضرب أسهم التكنولوجيا العالمية

China’s DeepSeek AI hits global tech stocks

Go to vocab Section

Translation of an article

Let’s look at parts of a longer newspaper article in Arabic. We will translate each sentence carefully. The highlighted words are in the vocabulary list below.

al-Akhbar (Lebanon): The return of businessmen affiliated with Al-Assad to Syria

On 15 January 2025, the Lebanese daily newspaper al-Akhbar (جريدة الأخبار اللبنانية) published the following analysis:

The new Syrian administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (أحمد الشرع), is urging businessmen who left during Bashar al-Assad‘s regime to come back and help rebuild the economy, including some associated with the former regime. They are trying to protect their assets and restart their businesses. Although this has stirred some debate, the administration aims to boost the economy and demonstrate openness to all.

Read full article

Let’s now take a closer look at a few complete paragraphs.

عودة رجال أعمال مرتبطين بالأسد: الاقتصاد أولويّة الشرع

The return of businessmen affiliated with Al-Assad: Economy is Al-Sharaa’s priority

Section 1

في محاولة لدفع الاقتصاد السوري المنهك والمدمر، بدأت القيادة الجديدة في سوريا، برئاسة أحمد الشرع، فتح قنوات تواصل مع رجال أعمال سوريين غادروا البلاد عقب سقوط سلطة بشار الأسد، بسبب مخاوف من عمليات انتقامية على خلفية علاقتهم بتلك السلطة. وأثمرت المحاولة المشار إليها، حتى الآن، عودة عدد من أبرز رجال الأعمال…

In an attempt to boost the battered and devastated Syrian economy, the new Syrian administration (leadership) under Ahmed al-Sharaa has begun to open channels of communication with Syrian businessmen who left the country after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, due to fears of reprisals for their ties to that regime. The aforementioned attempt has so far resulted in the return of a number of prominent businessmen…

Go to vocab Section 1

Section 2

ودخل رجال الأعمال الذين عادوا إلى سوريا، أو الذين هم في طريق عودتهم، حسبما ذكرت مصادر مطلعة، قبل نحو أسبوعين، في حوار مع السلطة السورية الجديدة بوساطة عربية، لمعرفة مصير أملاكهم أولاً، وبحث سبل عودة نشاطهم ثانياً.

وعاد محمد حمشو، أحد أبرز رجال الأعمال في سوريا، وأحد شركاء ماهر الأسد، إلى سوريا في زيارة قصيرة، التقى خلالها مسؤولين في الحكومة السورية المؤقتة لمناقشة وضعه ووضع ممتلكاته. وبحسب ما سربته وسائل إعلام سورية، فقد حصل حمشو على تعهد بعدم المساس به مقابل «إجراءات خاصة» عليه أن يقوم بها، من دون الإفصاح عن ماهية تلك الإجراءات، ما أفسح المجال للحديث عن تعهده بدفع مبلغ مليار دولار، وهو ما لم تؤكده أو تنفه أية جهة مسؤولة في سوريا.

According to the sources, the returning businessmen or those who are planning to return engaged in a dialogue with the new Syrian administration through Arab mediation about two weeks ago, to first find out the fate of their properties, and secondly to discuss ways to resume their activities.

Mohammad Hamsho, one of Syria‘s most prominent businessmen and one of Maher al-Assad’s partner [Maher is the younger brother of Baashar al-Assad], returned to Syria for a short visit, during which he met with officials in the Syrian interim government to discuss his situation and the status of his assets. According to leaks in the Syrian media, Hamsho received a pledge not to be touched in exchange for “special measures” that he had to take, without disclosing the nature of those measures. This opened the door to rumors about his pledge to pay a billion dollars, which has not been confirmed or denied by any official party in Syria…

Go to vocab Section 2

Section 3

وبالإضافة إلى حمشو، عاد إلى سوريا مستثمرون آخرون، بعضهم متهمون بإدارة أملاك ماهر الأسد، كرئيف قوتلي، وخالد قدور، اللذين أجريا لقاءات أيضاً مع مسؤولي الإدارة السورية الجديدة. وفي وقت سابق، بدأ سامر فوز، أحد أبرز المستثمرين في سوريا، وأحد أبرز داعمي النظام السابق، إعادة تشغيل استثماراته، بعد اتفاقات مباشرة تمّت بينه وبين الإدارة من دون وساطة عربية، وأفضت إلى تقديم تسهيلات كبيرة لنشاط الإدارة، بما فيها التحكم بسلسلة فنادق يملكها فوز، أبرزها فندق «الفورسيزنس» في دمشق، والذي تحوّل إلى مركز نشاط سياسي واقتصادي للحكومة المؤقتة ومسؤوليها.

In addition to Hamsho, other investors returned to Syria, some of whom are accused of managing Maher al-Assad’s properties, such as Raif Quwatli and Khaled Qaddour, who also held meetings with officials of the new Syrian administration. Earlier, Samer Foz, one of the most prominent investors in Syria and one of the most prominent supporters of the former regime, began to relaunch his investments, after direct agreements were reached between him and the administration without Arab mediation, which led to providing significant facilities for the administration’s activity, including control over a chain of hotels owned by Foz, most notably the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, which has become a center of political and economic activity for the interim government and its officials.

Go to vocab Section 3

Section 4

وفي وقت أثارت فيه عودة رجال الأعمال المرتبطين بالسلطة السابقة جدلاً في الشارع، وسط مطالبات بمحاسبتهم أو مصادرة أملاكهم، تُصِرّ الإدارة الجديدة على إفساح المجال لعودة من يرغب منهم. وهي تستهدف من وراء ذلك دفع الاقتصاد وتنشيطه أولاً، وتصدير نفسها على أنها منفتحة على الجميع في سبيل بناء الدولة، ما يضمن طيّ صفحة تاريخها المتشدد. وإذ ستكشف الأيام المقبلة حقيقة التعهدات التي تقدمت بها للمستثمرين العائدين، فقد يكون من شأن ذلك تشجيع آخرين على العودة.

At a time when the return of businessmen linked to the former regime has sparked controversy in the streets, amid demands to hold them accountable or confiscate their properties, the new administration insists on making room for (allowing) the return of those who wish to do so. The administration aims to boost and revitalize the economy first and to present itself as open to everyone in order to build the state, which ensures turning the page on its extremist history. As the coming days will reveal the truth about the pledges it has made to returning investors, this may encourage others to return.

Go to vocab Section 4

BACKGROUND: The economy of Syria

The Syrian economy in 2025 is undergoing significant transformation following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

The economy faces severe challenges, including high inflation, a decimated currency, and widespread poverty. The Syrian pound has lost significant value, and inflation has reached triple digits. The Central Bank of Syria’s foreign exchange reserves have dwindled to just $200 million.

Here is a look at what the economy was like during Bashar al-Asad’s dictatorship.

Key Business Figures

Mohammad Hamsho (محمد حمشو): A prominent businessman with interests in construction, telecommunications, and media. He was known for his close ties to the Assad family and played a significant role in the Syrian economy.
Raif Quwatli (رائف قوتلي): Another influential figure, Quwatli was involved in various sectors, including real estate and banking. His connections with the regime allowed him to thrive in the business environment.
Khaled Qaddour (خالد قدور): Known for his involvement in the oil and gas sector, Qaddour was a key player in Syria’s energy industry. His business dealings were closely linked to the regime’s interests.
Maher al-Assad (ماهر الأسد): Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother, Maher, was not only a military figure but also had significant economic influence. He was involved in various business ventures, including real estate and construction.
Hussam Qaterji (حسام قاطرجي): A businessman with interests in oil, agriculture, and trade. Qaterji’s rise in the business world was facilitated by his connections with the Assad regime.

Economic Characteristics

State Control: The Assad regime maintained control over key sectors such as oil, telecommunications, and banking. This allowed the regime to exert significant influence over the economy.
Crony Capitalism: The economy was marked by cronyism, with a small group of businessmen benefiting from their close ties to the regime. This created an environment where corruption and nepotism were rampant.
Sanctions and Conflict: International sanctions and the ongoing civil war severely impacted the Syrian economy. The conflict led to widespread destruction of infrastructure and a significant decline in economic activity.

GDP Details

GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, is a measure of the economic performance of a country. It represents the total value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period within a nation’s borders.

2023/2024: The GDP has drastically declined due to the prolonged conflict and economic instability, with the GDP in 2021 being around $8.98 billion (rough estimates)
2010: Before the Arab Spring and the revolution, Syria’s GDP was approximately $60.04 billion (according to the World Bank)

Vocabulary list

All the words in the above article marked in color can be found in this table with explanations.

If you are unfamiliar with the verb system used in the Hans Wehr dictionary (Roman numerals, I-X), click here for a short and simplified overview.