Syria: Syria's commercial hub Aleppo slowly recovers after war, earthquake.

Shotlist Aleppo, Syria - May 14-17, 2026 1. Various of workers using drill, hammer at construction site 2. Various of people, shops at market 3. Various of shop owner Salem Jawish organizing goods, serving customer 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Salem Jawish, shop owner: "We went back to our shops, to our markets - to the old markets. Before, everything was destroyed." 5. Various of destroyed buildings, bullet holes on wall 6. Various of shoemakers working 7. Various of damaged hotel building 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nazir Aqqad, shop owner: "They would bring the goods with them, display them, sell them, and buy more. The upper floor used to be like a hotel." 9. Various of damaged hotel building 10. Various of destroyed buildings, rubble, people walking on street, traffic FILE: Damascus, Syria - May 11, 2026 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Hani Aljundi, founder, Sima Partners: "The amount of destruction is quite massive. I would say 98 percent of the industrial capacity and the families had left the city and operated elsewhere and flourished elsewhere. And now the thesis for Aleppo is quite dependent on whether these families return." Aleppo, Syria - May 14-17, 2026 12. Various of people loading truck 13. Various of reconstruction work in progress, workers on site 14. Various of solar panels on roof, city view Storyline Aleppo, once Syria's commercial powerhouse, is showing tentative signs of revival as shopkeepers return to its historic markets and investors begin to take notice, though the road to recovery remains long and fraught with challenges. The sounds of drills and hammers now echo through the old market, where merchants once traded goods from across Syria. Among those returning is Salem Jawish, a lifelong resident who reopened his baby clothes shop last year after more than a decade of closure. "We felt so happy. We went back to our shops, to our markets -- to the old markets. Before, everything was destroyed," said Jawish. Years of war and the 2023 earthquake left much of the city in ruins. Nearby, in a historic building that once housed a mill, small businesses are gradually resuming operations. The building, with lower floors for livestock and upper floors for lodging, is slowly reopening, though its former glory remains a distant memory. "They would bring the goods with them, display them, sell them, and buy more. The upper floor used to be like a hotel," recalled Nazir Aqqad, another shop owner. Despite the signs of revival, severe infrastructure damage, fragile security and a lack of large-scale investment continue to hinder Aleppo's recovery. "The amount of destruction is quite massive. I would say 98 percent of the industrial capacity and the families had left the city and operated elsewhere and flourished elsewhere. And now the thesis for Aleppo is quite dependent on whether these families return," said Hani Aljundi, founder of Sima Partners, a Dasmascus-based advisory firm. The reopened Turkey‑Gulf trade corridor is bringing goods through Aleppo, generating new opportunities in transport and trade. Yet the challenge remains immense: the city is not only rebuilding its streets and landmarks, but also trying to restore a sense of normal life for its residents. [Restrictions: No Access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/Al-Arabiya TV]