Widespread Arab criticisms due to a document issued by the Syrian government.

A circulated document issued by the Syrian government has sparked wide criticism among Arab circles, revealing varying entry visa fees for visitors coming from Arab countries and other countries around the world.

The circulated document also indicated that the Syrian government exempted citizens of Lebanon, Jordan, and Mauritania from these fees, while imposing varying fees on visitors from the rest of the Arab countries.

According to the document, Arab countries were divided into six categories, with visa fees set at $40 for citizens of Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, and Yemen, while citizens of Libya were charged $75, and citizens of Bahrain $125.

The visa fee was set at $150 for citizens of Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, while citizens of Iraq and the UAE were charged an entry fee of $250. The new list did not mention visa fees for Tunisia.

The list also specified visa prices for several non-Arab countries, imposing a fee of $100 as the visa price for all countries not mentioned in the list.

This sparked a wave of criticism on social media among Arab countries, with many users expressing their dissatisfaction with the imposed fees.

Some pointed out that this distribution may increase divisions among Arab peoples and negatively affect relations between countries, while others considered these fees unjustified in light of the difficult economic conditions many Arab countries are facing.

The Syrian government had announced on December 21, 2024, the establishment of an authority for land and sea ports, enjoying legal personality, administrative and financial independence, and being linked to the Prime Minister.

The authority, led by Qutaiba Ahmed Badawi, is responsible for supervising and regulating the entry and exit of passengers and goods, as well as overseeing maritime navigation, commercial shipping, ports, and maritime transport.

On January 7, 2025, Damascus International Airport resumed its international flights, with a Syrian Airlines plane being the first to take off that day, heading to Sharjah Airport in the UAE.

On the same day, Qatar Airways also resumed its flights to Syria after a hiatus of about 13 years, starting with three weekly flights, reflecting a significant shift in air traffic between Syria and the Gulf countries.

It is worth mentioning that the airport received a number of aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to Syria recently, in addition to other planes transporting delegations of international officials, and domestic flights between various Syrian cities have also resumed.