In the agricultural sector, which employs one-third of the working population, cotton is the principal commodity and a key export. Wheat, barley, fruit and vegetables are the other main products, the bulk of which are grown for domestic consumption.
Oil is the main industry and provides two-thirds of Syrian export earnings.
At the start of the 1990s, the Syrian economy was largely state-controlled. Since then, although the Government has gradually introduced market-oriented reforms, the economy is still highly regulated. In the last few years, the Government has undertaken to accelerate the reform process in order to attract foreign investment which it wants to drive future economic development. Formal suits are necessary for business. Business people generally speak English and French.