CCTV9英语新闻：'Life in Syria' ep.3: War-related businesses prosper in Syria

In Syria, the four-year bloody conflict has driven many out of business. But a select few have escaped bankruptcy by embracing newly prosperous businesses affiliated with the war. It is a story about a lucrative business from an unlikely place.

Profits are picking up for the most unusual of businesses here in this 700-year-old souk. It is high times for the Al-Mahaini family.

Al-Sourijia market or as it is called in Arabic a souk, was the main destination for leather products in Damascus, but the war has certainly sent business here on a detour.

Al-Sourijia market or as it is called in Arabic a souk, was the main destination for leather products in Damascus, but the war has certainly sent business here on a detour.

The Syrian war might have spelled havoc for many, but not for the business of making gun holsters, military gear, tactical vests and anything a gun owner might need. And the consumer base just keeps growing.

"My family has been in the leather business for 60 years making bags, belts and gun holsters but when the war started I used our experience and expanded the business. We now make military gear: uniforms, vests and special bags. Many of my neighbors closed down their shops and others left the country," said Nabil Mahaini, business owner.

military gear in the shop: uniforms, vests and special bags

At the workshop where the production takes place, are items not meant to be put on display, such as a tactical bag for a 12.7 mm sniper rifle. Needless to say, Mahaini has no interest in disclosing his clientele list.

On the workshop wall, is a reminder of the old times when making badges was their main business. They made badges for Saudi civil defense, Lebanese boy scouts and Yemeni customs memorabilia from a time a world away.

"I used to be a computer technician but there was no business, so I came here to work, and there is a lot of work here. Every day we get tens of customers, not to mention contracts for large orders. I never thought I would handle such things before the war. I had never even held a gun and now I deal with them daily," said Hassan, worker at Mahaini's.

Back in the store, the successful business man explains his future plans. In this time of war, his business is certainly on the rise—a rise that signals a deadly cost for war-torn Syria.