Aleppo is Syria’s second largest metropolitan area by population size, and the largest by economic strength.

The metropolitan region of Aleppo derives its strengths from:

• A population with a business acumen and strong principles of self-employment

• The presence of a diverse historical economic portfolio

• A Geo-strategic location.

• A long history and heritage.

Despite its size and dynamism, Aleppo nonetheless suffers from:

• The local unemployment rate is above the national average

• The average size of the informal economy is higher than the national average

• The local poverty rate is higher than the national average