Enab Baladi – Amir Huquq
Drama is no longer merely an artistic tool or a means of entertainment; it has evolved into a substantial economic force, serving as an active sector that supports multiple domains.
The drama industry is considered one of the vital industries, playing a pivotal role in stimulating economic growth and diversifying national income sources. This has led some countries to establish massive production cities, as is evident in the United States with Hollywood, in India with Bollywood, and in the Arab world with Egypt’s Media Production City.
A Syrian brand
Syrian drama is characterized by its broad Arab audience, showcased through its presence on the majority of Arab satellite channels, particularly in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, the Gulf states, and the Maghreb countries.
Today, the drama industry in Syria is seen as a fundamental sector contributing to the support and revival of the economy, through the resumption of its production cycle that had declined in previous years, which had seen significant development before the onset of the Syrian revolution.
In May, a group of Arab drama producers visited Syria, meeting with the Syrian Minister of Information, Hamza al-Mustafa, and the Governor of Aleppo, Azzam al-Ghareeb, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in filming and production within Syria, and ways to collaborate and invest in Syrian drama.
University professor in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Damascus and economic expert, Dr. Majdi al-Jamous, stated in an interview with Enab Baladi that Syrian drama experienced a golden age before the revolution, becoming a distinctive identity and brand that outperformed Arab drama, including Egyptian and regional, such as Turkish drama.
The expert believes that the state of the drama industry today mirrors that of other Syrian industries, having been affected during the past period, suffering from a lack of funding and poor selection of scripts and artists, thus witnessing an artistic decline. Additionally, Arab channels have distanced themselves from purchasing Syrian series, leading to a loss of its Arab market.
The Syrian drama industry currently lives in a state of turmoil between its golden past and present; there are hopes and desires for its renewal and resurgence, allowing it to reclaim its position as a dominant force in Arab and even regional drama.
Dr. al-Jamous suggests that the strengths of the Syrian drama industry are numerous: the skill of Syrian artists, the distinctive Syrian dialect desired in all Arab countries, the quality of dramatic scripts, and the nature of Syrian productions addressing familial, historical, cultural topics, among others, in addition to its large Arab audience.
The components of Syrian drama are varied and diverse, making it an important national project. If rebuilt on solid foundations, it could significantly contribute to enhancing and supporting the national economy, especially the industrial sector, according to al-Jamous.
Unpredictable progress
Economic researcher Adham Qudaimati mentioned to Enab Baladi that Syrian drama previously stimulated a form of tourism. The drama industry is a crucial aspect in various countries, yet in Syria over the past ten years, it has significantly declined from what it was before the Syrian revolution.
He stressed that predicting whether Syria would witness advancements in its drama industry and economic activities related to drama is uncertain due to the weak Syrian economy and crumbling infrastructure, which limits its potential.
He noted that a strong Syrian drama industry that could revitalize the Syrian economy depends on government decisions to be made in the near future.
The existence of a strong Syrian drama industry that could revitalize the Syrian economy depends on government decisions to be made in the near future.
Adham Qudaimati, Economic researcher
An economic lever
The production of drama is linked to several fundamental sectors, which enhances its economic significance, alongside its artistic, humanitarian, and societal stature.
University professor and economic expert Dr. Majdi al-Jamous emphasized the importance of investing in the drama industry to invigorate the Syrian economy. If the industry is focused on correctly, it could serve as a stimulus to rejuvenate the Syrian industrial sector.
Syrian drama could act as an economic lever by generating profits or income from broadcasting rights, whether domestically or internationally. With the increasing number of digital platforms dedicated to airing dramatic productions, a single series can create job opportunities for over 400 employees, as well as provide direct and indirect opportunities in other sectors, according to Dr. al-Jamous.
Moreover, the drama industry has historically provided foreign currency during the previous regime, underscoring its current role as an important economic sector in securing foreign currency, which can contribute to stabilizing exchange rates.
Revitalizing economic sectors, tourism first
Dr. Majdi al-Jamous believes that the drama sector can stimulate several economic sectors alongside it. The Syrian drama industry is genuine and not merely a cultural entertainment endeavor; thus, if invested wisely, it could serve as a significant lever for the industrial sector and, consequently, help bolster the Syrian economy.
He noted that the tourism sector is one of the most affected sectors by the drama industry, as it showcases important tourist attractions in Syria, encouraging both Arab and foreign tourists to visit these sites and highlighting the aesthetic features of historical properties, such as the neighborhood depicted in the series “Bab al-Hara.” It also positively impacts the fashion and cosmetics sectors.
This requires the production of high-quality, professionally made series that are marketable in the Arab world. For instance, Turkish drama has managed to generate over a billion dollars annually by mimicking Syrian drama but has surpassed it by effectively showcasing Turkish tourist attractions, thus promoting the tourism sector significantly.
In Syria, examples such as the series “Dayaa Dayaa” have substantially promoted the village of Samra in rural Latakia. Therefore, Syrian drama has the potential to activate and revitalize the tourism sector in Syria, which, in turn, will contribute to economic recovery, as emphasized by Dr. al-Jamous.
The drama industry in Syria is capable of securing foreign currency and stabilizing exchange rates while also rejuvenating and promoting the tourism sector through the showcasing of tourist attractions in its productions, which, in turn, aids in economic recovery.
Majdi al-Jamous, Economic expert
Appropriate logistics services
Economic researcher Adham Qudaimati elaborated that countries with developed drama industries often witness positive economic activity and advanced logistics services. He believes Syria can work on building targeted and realistic drama in the future to harness its economic impact.
Today, Syria is experiencing a phase of rehabilitation across all sectors, given that it had been devastated and reliant on certain nepotistic structures due to corruption. All of this can later benefit the current reality of drama productions.
He argued that the drama industry today requires adequate infrastructure, appropriate logistics services, and a good technological sector, as all of these factors impact the development and future utilization of the Syrian drama industry.
Among the factors attracting investment into Syrian drama are its popularity, geographical nature, and the welcoming attitude of the Syrian people towards drama, according to Qudaimati.
A national authority for drama development
With the decline of Syrian drama and the decrease in quality productions, there are anticipations for the reactivation of its production cycle and for its creators to adopt a work plan to improve its weak status in an effort to restore its former glory and quality, benefiting the Syrian economy tangibly.
Dr. Majdi al-Jamous conditioned that transforming the Syrian drama industry into an economic force requires the Syrian government to provide emergency support through several points:
Rehabilitating infrastructure, including developing studios and constructing a media city like those in Dubai and Egypt. Supporting production companies and providing tax and customs incentives to investors in the drama production sector. Ensuring the airing of works on Ministry of Information channels by purchasing those series, which encourages producers to maintain regular production and improve quality. Addressing the legal framework protecting the rights of actors, technicians, and production companies, facilitating investment. Acknowledging the distinctiveness of Syrian drama and its competitive ability. Forming an independent national authority dedicated to developing the drama industry, which entails financial support, facilitation, and accessible loans. Supporting partnerships in the drama field between the private and public sectors. Embracing drama as an important and distinguished production sector by the government, turning it into a source of income and strategic investment to elevate both the national economy and national culture.
Anticipated role of drama in stimulating Syrian economy Enab Baladi.
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