The Syrian merchant fleet has experienced severe conditions in the last years due to
the impacts of the world economic crisis, the hostile western sanctions imposed on the fleet
units, and the increasing trend by many Syrian ship-owners to sell the
ir ships. Hence, this
research has been prepared to examine the role of unconventional financial methods and
their role in the process of getting the different brands and models necessary develop the
Syrian merchant fleet; primarily containership. The research concluded that the high prices
of ships and the difficulty of finding the huge investments required for the direct purchase
of models, brands and loads necessary made more difficult for developing countries , like
Syria, to pursue the style of direct purchase of ships. So the research displays and analyses
a number of unconventional financial measures through which it becomes possible to
develop the Syrian merchant fleet and override the difficulty of direct purchase are to be
used to overcome this difficulty. These measures may include time charter, voyage
charter, bareboat charter, financial leasing ,and legislating the laws necessary to organize
these measures. The research asserts that Syrian economic sectors should strongly support
the fleet by offering facilities and support for the fleet development process, moreover ,
commercial banks should work on rescheduling the loans of troubled shipping companies
which suffer difficulties due to the above mentioned reasons .
Based on the strategic and economic importance of the Syrian Merchant Fleet, this research paper was prepared to illustrate and analyze the current situation of this fleet under the prevailing circumstances, taking into account the impacts of the lat
est world
economic crisis on the fleet, as well as the hostile western sanctions and procedures imposed on the fleet units, the researcher discussed the impact of the latest world economic
crisis on the world maritime industry with emphasis on the world merchant fleet , global shipping market and on the Syrian Merchant Fleet which like many countries fleets was
negatively affected by the crisis, added to this negative impacts those which were caused by the hostile sanctions and procedures imposed by the western countries against the Syrian Merchant Fleet , the researcher asserted that other Syrian economic society sectors should form a crisis management entity, including banks to support the Syrian Merchant fleet, moreover what was recommended of establishing maritime private limited
companies as new business entities and grant the separation between ownership and management.
