"Syria was widely regarded as an economic haven, even for those with modest incomes..."

"...The demand for scarce greenbacks at exchanges in the Syrian capital is just one symptom of the economic woes facing Syria, which long was regarded as one of the Middle East's most livable places.With low costs, abundant resources and subsidized healthcare, Syria was widely regarded as an economic haven, even for those with modest incomes. It boasted a thriving middle class and a solid industrial and agricultural base.
That's all in the past. Two years of conflict have left thousands of factories destroyed or looted, vast swaths of the country under the control of fragmented opposition forces or brigands, and ravaged towns and fields. ..."