The toppling of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad has been great for Mohammad al-Badawi. His sales have doubled as beverages he imports cheaply from Turkey into the former-rebel stronghold of Idlib can now be sold in the rest of Syria. For Haytham Joud, business has collapsed. He built his food, drinks and consumer goods empire in the capital Damascus under the tight controls of Assad's protectionist regime. He's alarmed by the new government's experiment with a free market economy.
"With all these imports, we need to see what happens to local industries," Joud said, in a boutique hotel that he owns, tucked away inside the ancient walls of Damascus's Old City.
"It's a big challenge." Their contrasting fortunes reveal a shift in Syria since Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept to power in December. Their new government has promised to undo decades of crony rule under Assad, when the economy was controlled by a handful of tycoons.
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