Imported fruits make a comeback in Syria amid economic strain

After decades of poverty and isolation under the Assad dynasty, imported fruits like pineapples, kiwis, and mangoes are available again in Syria's bustling markets.

Fruits that were once designated luxury items, meaning they were accessible only to Syria's wealthiest, are now as common as potatoes or onions, cooking staples for many of the country's population.

"We used to smuggle them in," said 46-year-old fruit vendor Marwan Abu Hayla with a big smile as he displayed his produce at Damascus' Shaalan market.

Grocers used to face fines and even imprisonment for importing exotic fruits.

But now "we do not hide pineapples anymore -- we can put them on display," Abu Hayla told AFP, adding: "The era of pineapple-phobia is over."

One kilogram of pineapple used to cost around 300,000 Syrian pounds (around $23) before an Islamist-led offensive ousted leader Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war.

That has now plummeted to a much sweeter price of around 40,000 pounds, about $4.

"We used to smuggle (the fruit) with the help of taxi drivers -- just like petrol and diesel," Abu Hayla said of other commodities that Syrians used to bring in illicitly from neighboring Lebanon when supplies were scarce under Assad.

Now "pineapples are like potatoes and onions," he added, as potential customers eyed the ripe fruit.

Buyers and sellers linked the fruits' newfound presence to developments, including the free availability of the U.S. dollar since Assad's ousting. Trading in the currency was previously punishable by law.

Other signs of change include new cars on the streets and more abundant fuel supplies.

The late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad imposed heavy state control over the economic system, which isolated the country from global trade.

His son and successor, Bashar, kept up the system to maintain the clan's iron-fisted rule until he was overthrown in December.

Fruit seller Ahmed al-Hareth, 45, said tropical fruits -- even bananas -- used to cost the equivalent of a public employee's monthly salary.

Customs authorities and security forces would raid stores, further fuelling a limited black-market fruit trade.

Medical student Nour Abed al-Jabbar, 24, said she "used to see tropical fruit on screens more often than in markets."

However, many people still struggle to buy the fruit in a country whose economy has been ravaged by years of conflict and sanctions and where 90 percent of the people live in poverty.

Housewife Ilham Amin, 50, said she had noticed grocery stores becoming more colorful, which "tempts customers to buy."

But she steers her children away from the tantalizing new fruit as she cannot afford it.

"Living conditions are tough, and pineapple is a luxury for a family like ours," she said.

AFP