The Syrian Ministry of Finance has initiated a strict provisional seizure of properties and businesses belonging to the well-known businessman Abdullah Nizam. This legal action, which also targets a vast network of his associates and relatives, follows investigations into illicit enrichment and money laundering. Financial totals connected to the case are reported to exceed four hundred and seventy-five million US dollars.
Broad Legal Reach and Family Involvement
The seizure directive extends to Abdullah Nizam’s entire immediate family, including his wives, his adult and minor sons, and his daughter Maryam. This comprehensive scope indicates a significant expansion of the probe into the businessman’s innermost circle. Nizam is a prominent figure in Syria’s social and religious landscape, serving as the head of the Scholarly Council for the Followers of Ahl al-Bayt. Additionally, he leads the Sayyida Ruqayya Institute, which is part of the University of Bilad al-Sham for Islamic Sciences in Damascus.
Industrial and Strategic Asset Targets
The frozen assets cover multiple essential economic sectors, demonstrating the vast reach of Nizam’s network. Within the production and industrial fields, the order includes a mushroom cultivation plant in Homs, a highly profitable export facility registered to Nabil Tayro. Other seized entities include the cashew processing factory in Adra Industrial City and the Amanda Electrical Industries Company located in al-Kiswah. Amanda Electrical, which produces home appliances, is managed by Ahmad Mundhir and Firas Nasreddin. Furthermore, the seizure affects a cosmetics and perfume importation firm based in Beirut, managed by Asim Ahmad al-Wasati.
Real Estate, Hospitality, and Historic Properties
In the tourism and real estate sectors, the Ministry’s decision impacts a substantial block of property in Sayyida Zainab. This includes buildings, hotels, and land owned directly or through partnerships with Mohammed Fawaz, Hossam Arqoub, and Bassam Nizam. The order also encompasses a traditional house in Damascus and a five-hundred-square-meter plot in al-Muhajireen intended for a commercial mall development. One of the most significant assets listed is a strategic property on the airport road. This plot, which formerly belonged to the family of Osama bin Laden, was later moved to the al-Mahsiniyya School under Faisal Ali’s supervision.
Education, Health, and Lifestyle Services
The seizure includes the private al-Mumayazoun School in Homs, which is registered under the names of Nabil Tayro and Maryam Nizam. In the medical field, the al-Amin Medical Equipment Company and a central emergency pharmacy in al-Muhajireen—registered to Mahmoud Sharab and Maryam Nizam—have been frozen. Additional service-sector assets include a laser and beauty clinic in Abu Rummaneh, managed by Samir Sandian and registered to Nizam’s daughter, as well as a fitness club in the Imam Zain al-Abidin district that operates via a charitable association contract.
Financial Assets and Management Oversight
Beyond physical real estate, the order covers all movable and financial assets. This includes bank deposits and accounts in both private and public institutions, along with stakes and shares in limited-liability and joint-stock companies. Operational components like production lines, vehicles, and machinery are also included. Crucially, the decision encompasses “management rights and revenues,” allowing the state to control the profits and operations of these businesses. This reflects a rigorous government effort to combat corruption, reclaim misappropriated funds, and enforce the rule of law.
The Intersection of Religion and Economic Power
These recent measures against Abdullah Nizam highlight the deep intersection of religious authority and economic influence in Syria. Nizam’s roles have provided him with a significant public platform and the ability to build a complex web of interests. The diversity of the seized assets—spanning from high-end clinics to major industrial plants—illustrates how his network permeated various layers of society. The inclusion of his wives and children in the seizure order points toward a centralized family-based management system for his diverse properties and business ventures. The investigation into money laundering raises serious questions regarding the accumulation of such wealth and the state’s commitment to total administrative control over these resources.
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