"Damascus governor refuses to meet with contractors, owners in Marota City"

A number of contractors and owners in the Marota City project in Damascus confirmed that they submitted a formal request to meet with the Damascus governor to clarify the misinformation the governorate has been spreading about the project for several months. However, the governor is refusing to meet with the business owners and the vast majority of the owners.

The Marota City project is a large development zone, considered the first comprehensive urban development project in Damascus. It includes residential and commercial towers, shopping centers, tourist and service facilities, and advanced infrastructure.

The project features smart infrastructure such as service tunnels, central gas networks, electricity and fiber optic communication networks, in addition to green spaces and lakes. According to ANHA agency's sources, the plots and properties belonging to businessmen known for their support of the former regime, such as Qaterji, Fawz, Hamsho, and Khader, were confiscated as part of the Marota project, in addition to buildings owned by Asma al-Assad, the wife of the former regime's president.

The sources indicated that the merchants submitted official letters, registered with the Damascus Governorate office and containing official dates and figures, to provide explanations and clarifications regarding the misinformation being promoted by the Governorate, which is a partner in "Marota City" through its implementation of infrastructure work in exchange for receiving the largest share of the plots.

Among the most prominent misinformation refuted by the merchants and contractors in their letter to the Governorate, which ANHA agency reviewed, are the following:

1. The Misconception of the 17% Residential Area

Some claim that the zoning plan allocated only 17% of the total area for residential use, which is inaccurate. In fact, this ratio reflects the adoption of a vertical building model (residential towers) that achieves optimal population density and allows for the allocation of ample space for public services and infrastructure.

A common misconception is that the project constitutes expropriation, when in essence it is an application of the principle of "mandatory distribution." This principle ensures fairness among owners through proportional deductions from all, with the proceeds going to everyone, without expropriating anyone without compensation, in accordance with international urban planning standards.

Another misconception is that occupants were deprived of their rights. In reality, Decree 66 granted them, for the first time in Syria, the right to alternative housing within the same area, with affordable installments. Furthermore, the occupants benefited from dual compensation combining floor shares and alternative housing, a legal and social precedent.

The "Marota City" project is accused of discriminating between owners, while the truth is that the project preserved the rights of everyone, from large owners to small property owners, through a fair and transparent distribution system. The vast majority of owners have received their rights and have already begun implementing their projects, reflecting their confidence in the plan and its fairness.

One of the contractors, who preferred to remain anonymous, told ANHA agency that the Marota City project is one of the most prominent development and urban projects in Damascus. It embodies a national model that combines equitable distribution with sustainable implementation and is a cornerstone in the city's reconstruction.

He added that the project was based on Legislative Decree No. 66 of 2012, which granted the original owners a share of no less than 88% of the floor value, a percentage far exceeding that granted in other development projects.

The contractor emphasized that the project relies on the principle of "redistribution of property rights" instead of expropriation, a globally recognized approach implemented in major cities such as Tokyo, Berlin, and Dubai. This approach aims to increase property values ​​and achieve fairness between owners and occupants. The contractors expressed their surprise at the governorate’s disregard for their demands and its failure to listen to them, despite the fact that more than 100 plots of the project have been completed and hundreds of billions have been spent on it, at a time when some are deliberately working to tarnish its reputation, instead of promoting it as an investment opportunity that strengthens the state treasury and supports the national economy.

ANHA