The Syrian Ministry of Energy issued General Expression of Interest (EOI) Invitation No. 2/2026 DH on 4 October 2026 for the Halabiya–Zalabiya Dam Project on the Euphrates River, seeking qualified companies, investors and consortia to participate in the project's development, financing, implementation and operation. The proposed site is approximately 50 km north of Deir ez-Zor, near the archaeological sites of Halabiya and Zalabiya.
According to the invitation document, the project combines three main components: a dam and an 81 MW hydropower plant, a pumped-storage hydropower (PSP) facility with capacity of up to 1,200 MW, and an irrigation system targeting approximately 30,000 hectares in the Lower Euphrates Basin. The hydropower plant is planned with three turbine-generator units rated at 27 MW each, while the dam reservoir would serve as the lower reservoir for the pumped-storage scheme.
The Ministry gives an indicative current investment cost estimate of approximately USD 1.163 billion, including about USD 433.7 million for the dam and hydropower plant and about USD 729.6 million for the pumped-storage facility. These figures are preliminary and subject to review and updating through feasibility and detailed design studies.
The EOI allows applicants to propose participation in one or more stages of the project cycle, including pre-feasibility studies, detailed feasibility studies, bankability and financing studies, detailed and executive design, EPC execution, and operation and maintenance. The Ministry also identifies potential partnership structures including PPP, BOT and BOOT, as well as EPC/Turnkey implementation.
EOI submissions are accepted from 11 October 2026 until the end of official working hours on 10 November 2026, while questions are accepted until 26 October 2026. At this stage, the project remains in the Expression of Interest and early development process and is not under construction.
For technical data and ongoing project status updates, see the Halabiya–Zalabiya Dam Project card in the Major Projects Tracker.