Der Sammelband enthält die insgesamt 21 Beiträge von syrischen und deutschen Wissenschaftlern, die sich zu Aspekten des syrisch-deutschen Handels äußern. Alle Vorträge wurden im Rahmen eines gemeinsamen Workshops der Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal und der Arab-European-University (AEU) im September 2009 vorgestellt, teilweise heftig diskutiert und später weiter überarbeitet.
Dadurch verzögerte sich die Fertigstellung dieses Sammelbandes, spiegelt aber dadurch den aktuellen Stand wider.
Table of Contents
1. Preface
2. German Economy
2.1 Signs of Downswing
2.2 2009 is not 1929
2.3 Economic Situation in Future
3. The Health System in Syria
3.1 Excutive Summary
3.2 Health Status indicators
3.3 Health System Organisation
3.4 Health Care Finance & Expenditure
3.5 Human Resources
3.6 Health Service Delivery
3.7 Health System Reforms
4. The Syrian Tax system
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Historic Overview
4.3 Tax Revenues
4.4 Basis of Taxation
4.5. Kind of Taxes
4.6 Tax Evasion
4.7 Advancement of Tax System
5. German-Syrian-Families- Legal Aspects of Foreigners
5.1 Preface
5.2 Marriages between Muslims and Non-Muslims
5.3 Rights of Foreigners and Non-Muslims
5.5 Heritage
5.6 Appendix
6. The body politic of Syria - Overview
6.1 Historical Background
6.2 Body Politic Nowadays
6.3 Foreign Policy of Syria
6.4 Syria’s Relationship to Lebanon
7. The Banking System of Syria (private sector, creditpolicy…)
7.1 Syria’s Banking History since the 1960s
7.2 Developments in recent years
7.3 Syria’s Banking System today
7.4 Islamic Banking in Syria
8. Value-based Code for Managerial Staff
9. Business opportunities in Syria
9.1 Syria (Main Indicators) 2008
9.2 Relecommunication (Private Sector)
10. Export Control & Foreign Trade in Syria
10.1 Introduction
10.2. Concept and Nature of Syrian Foreign Trade
10.3 Foreign Trade Rate
10.4 Proposals and Recommendations
11. Leadership Behaviours in Western and Arabic Cultures: Empirical Evidence from Culture Consequences and the Study of GLOBE
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Understanding Culture
11.3 Culture’s Consequences Study
11.4 Study of the GLOBE
11.5 Management Styles in Arabic Countries: Research Published in Arabic
11.6 Conclusion
12. The Syrian Economy – An Overview
12.1 Introduction
12.2. Export / Import
12.3 Natural Resources
12.4 Energy Industry
12.5 Economic Development and Politics
12.6 EU Support
12.7 German Support
12.8 Outlook
13. Syrian – German Cooperation and Partnership; A Perspective For Joint Venture With The Private and Government Sectors
13.1 Measures Undertaken by the Syrian Government
13.2 Partnerships and Alliances in Syria
13.3 Syria
13.4 Priority Areas in Syria
13.5 Programs and Projects in Syria
14. Accounting Standards from an international prospective
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Regulating International Accounting Practice
14.3 International Accounting Differences
14.4 The International Standards and Accounting Systems of LEDCs
14.5 Summary and Conclusion
15. Business behaviour in Arab Countries on Example Syria
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Theoretical Background
15.3 Practical Background
15.4 Conclusion - Intercultural Competency and Sensibility Required
16. Development of Islamic Financial Institutions in Syria
16.1 Abstract
16.2 The need for Islamic Financial Institution in Syria
16.3 Kind of Islamic Financial Institutions
17. What is Islamic Banking
17.1 What is Islamic Banking
17.2 Maqasid al Shari’a (orientations)
17.3 Sources of Islamic law
17.4 Rights of contracting parties
18. Islamic Finance: Murabaha, Musharaka
18.1 Islamic Finance: Murabaha
18.2 Islamic Finance: Musharaka
18.3 Islamic Bonds: Sukuk Islamic Finance Progress
18.4 Some Final Thoughts!
19. Limitations of Islamic Banking Services In Syria
19.1 Reasons for the Research
19.2 Methodology
19.3 Independent and Dependent Variables
19.4 Expected Limitations
20. The Banking System in Syria
20.1 Introduction
20.2. The Banking System’s Make-up
20.3 Monetary and Credit Council ‘MCC’
20.4 Interest Rates
20.5 Capital Reserves
20.6 The Way Forward (suggestions)
21. Development of Islamic Financial Institutions in Syria
21.1 Decade of Reformation
21.2 The Need for Islamic Finance
21.3 Kind of Islamic Financial Institutions
21.4 Islamic Banks
21.5 Problems
21.6 Islamic Insurance Companies
21.7 Islamic Brokerage Companies
22. Public and Private Sectors
22.1 Introduction
22.2 Rules and Regulations Governing Investment in Syria
22.3 The Structure of the Private Sector in Syria
22.4 Public Private Partnership
22. 5 Existing Joint Ventures
22.6 GTZ
22.7 Conclusion
22.8 Annexes
Objectives and Topics
This publication documents the proceedings of a workshop held at the University Magdeburg-Stendal in September 2009, bringing together Syrian and German experts. The primary goal of this anthology is to analyze the current state, reform processes, and challenges of the Syrian economy, with a specific focus on financial systems, healthcare infrastructure, taxation, and legal frameworks for foreign investors, while also exploring opportunities for bilateral cooperation and knowledge transfer between Germany and Syria.
- Analysis of the transformation of the Syrian banking sector, including the introduction of private and Islamic banking.
- Evaluation of the Syrian healthcare system, its financing models, and ongoing modernization efforts.
- Examination of the Syrian tax system, challenges regarding tax evasion, and potential advancements for a more favorable investment climate.
- Discussion of management styles, intercultural business behavior, and legal aspects affecting German-Syrian cooperation.
- Overview of government-led economic reforms, including the "Tenth 5-year Plan" and the development of Public-Private Partnerships.
Auszug aus dem Buch
3.1 Excutive Summary
Syria is located in the Middle East, surrounded by Turkey in the North, Iraq in the East, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Palestine in the South, Mediterranean and Lebanon in the West. Syria spreads over a total geographical area of 185.18 km2. The cultivable land is approximately 80.000 km. The remainder is comprised of deserts and Rocky Mountains. It is further divided into a coastal zone and a much larger eastern plateau. The climate is predominantly dry and about three-fifths of the country receives less than 25 centimeters of rain a year. Fertile part of the land is a rich natural resource. Efforts have been continuous, and in 1980s the efforts were accelerated to increase the amount of arable land through irrigation projects.
In 2004 the population estimated was 17.993.000. More than 50% population lives in urban area. Over 40% of all the Syrians are less than 15 years of age. Almost 57% are between the age of 15 and 64 years. Life expectancy has steadily increased over the last few years, up to 69 years of age for men and 73 years for women. From the administrative point of view, Syria is divided in to 14 Governorates (Muhafazat). Each one of these is normally divided into areas (Manatik), which are further divided into smaller units (Nawahi) and lastly the villages (Qura). These villages are the smallest administrative units.
Syria has medium-sized economy. The economy is dominated by the primary sector, with the vital financial achievements contributed by the agriculture and hydrocarbon extraction fields, together. It imparts more than 45% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some strategic sectors such as oil, cement production and power generation, are completely owned by the government. The government controls much of the cotton and grain production, also. There are certain other areas of economic activity such as fruit production and trade, which are considered to be less strategic thus, remain outside direct state control. The private sector despite its limited size and power generates a disproportionate share of the output. To limit prices and prevent illegal profiting the rigid economic laws introduced long ago, however, have driven much activity underground.
Summary of Chapters
1. Preface: The editor presents a collection of 21 contributions from Syrian and German scientists, originating from a joint workshop on bilateral economic relations.
2. German Economy: An analysis of Germany's economic recession in 2008/2009, discussing the impacts of the global financial crisis, labor market issues, and recovery prospects.
3. The Health System in Syria: An overview of the Syrian healthcare system, detailing organizational structures, finance, provider payment mechanisms, and modernization efforts like the EU-supported reform program.
4. The Syrian Tax system: A description of Syria's tax legislation, historical development, revenue structures, challenges with tax evasion, and future reform needs to foster an attractive investment environment.
5. German-Syrian-Families- Legal Aspects of Foreigners: A discussion on the legal and social framework in Syria concerning marriages between Muslims and non-Muslims, foreigners' rights, and inheritance laws.
6. The body politic of Syria - Overview: A historical and political background of Syria, outlining its political system, foreign policy, and relations with neighbors like Lebanon.
7. The Banking System of Syria (private sector, creditpolicy…): A review of the modernization of Syria's banking sector, the introduction of private and Islamic banks, and the impact of the Damascus Securities Exchange.
8. Value-based Code for Managerial Staff: An exploration of the importance of corporate ethics, the implementation of codes of conduct, and the necessity of moral orientation for managers.
9. Business opportunities in Syria: An overview of main economic indicators, socio-economic reforms, and the five-year plan aimed at improving the investment climate in Syria.
10. Export Control & Foreign Trade in Syria: A detailed look at Syria's foreign trade structure, export control mechanisms, and recommendations for improving trade competitiveness.
11. Leadership Behaviours in Western and Arabic Cultures: Empirical Evidence from Culture Consequences and the Study of GLOBE: An empirical analysis of cultural dimensions and their impact on leadership behaviors in Arabic and Western societies.
12. The Syrian Economy – An Overview: A comprehensive summary of the Syrian economy, its trade relations, energy industry, and challenges regarding reforms and foreign support.
13. Syrian – German Cooperation and Partnership; A Perspective For Joint Venture With The Private and Government Sectors: Insights into bilateral collaboration, specifically focusing on technical assistance projects and partnerships between German institutions (like GTZ) and the Syrian public/private sectors.
14. Accounting Standards from an international prospective: An academic discussion on the role of international accounting standards (IAS/IFRS) and the challenges of implementing them in developing countries.
15. Business behaviour in Arab Countries on Example Syria: An analysis of cultural influences on business interactions, negotiation strategies, and the importance of intercultural competence when working in the Arab world.
16. Development of Islamic Financial Institutions in Syria: An overview of the growth of Islamic finance, including banking, insurance, and brokerage, within the context of recent Syrian economic reforms.
17. What is Islamic Banking: An explanation of the fundamental principles of Islamic finance, including Maqasid al Shari’a, sources of Islamic law, and the permissibility of various contracts.
18. Islamic Finance: Murabaha, Musharaka: A practical guide to specific Islamic financing tools like Murabaha and Musharaka and the growth of Sukuk as an Islamic financial instrument.
19. Limitations of Islamic Banking Services In Syria: A research-based overview focusing on the methodology and limitations encountered when researching the Islamic banking sector in Syria.
20. The Banking System in Syria: A concise analysis of the structure of the Syrian banking system, monetary policy instruments, and interest rates.
21. Development of Islamic Financial Institutions in Syria: A re-evaluation of the evolution of Islamic financial institutions in the Syrian market, highlighting key developments and ongoing challenges.
22. Public and Private Sectors: A detailed analysis of the public and private sectors in Syria, investment regulations, the informal sector, and existing joint ventures.
Keywords
Syria, German-Syrian relations, economic development, financial sector, banking reform, Islamic finance, healthcare system, foreign investment, business behavior, intercultural management, taxation, public sector, joint ventures, infrastructure, investment climate
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this publication about?
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the Syrian economy, financial systems, healthcare, and the legal environment for foreign businesses, documenting the collaborative results of a German-Syrian workshop held in 2009.
What are the core thematic fields covered?
The work covers a wide array of topics including the banking system reform (conventional and Islamic), healthcare system infrastructure, Syrian tax legislation, intercultural business communication, and the role of joint ventures in the country.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to analyze the transitional challenges and opportunities in the Syrian economy, specifically exploring how modernization and international cooperation can foster sustainable growth and better integration into the global market.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The contributions employ various scientific approaches, including comparative analysis of economic data, case studies, empirical surveys on cultural leadership dimensions, and reviews of existing legislative decrees and historical developments.
What is the focus of the main section of the book?
The main part is divided into thematic chapters that analyze specific sectors—like banking, finance, and tourism—and their respective regulatory and structural environments within Syria.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key concepts include Syrian economic reform, banking modernization, Islamic finance, foreign direct investment, and bilateral cooperation.
How does the Syrian health system deal with the current demand for quality services?
The Syrian government, with support from the European Commission, has launched modernization programs aimed at improving hospital management, healthcare infrastructure, and financing models to address the growing demand for quality health services in the era of globalization.
What are the major challenges for the Syrian banking sector today?
The sector faces challenges such as the prevalence of short-term deposits, the lack of a credit bureau for historical borrower data, and the need for more sophisticated financial instruments to support long-term investment in production facilities.
- Citation du texte
- Grabau-Stiftung (Hrsg.) (Auteur), 2011, Workshop Syrien, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/168919
