Syrian prostitution booming

From Al-Arabiya:

Defying the worldwide economic downturn, prostitutes in Syria are experiencing boom times as more robust economic activity in Syria has created a booming market for their profession due to an inflow of investments in the private sector that have increased the disposable incomes that fund entertainment and indulgence.

Prostitutes in Syria hoping to cash into the economic boom are accordingly raising their prices and improving their highly sought services for better customer satisfaction as the demand for prostitution peaks.

"This is the oldest profession in human history, and it will continue unabated and will evolve in form and style as long as the methods of service keep pace with modernization," remarked a prostitute working at a night club in Damascus.

A prostitute from on of the Arab Maghreb countries who went by the pseudonym Rasha to avoid social stigma, has been in the business for less than a year after quitting her low paying job at a Syrian company.

She said that her fortunes changed for the better and her living standards drastically improved after she gave up her secretarial position for prostitution,.

"Not too long ago I was looking for a small apartment at the outskirts of Damascus. Now, I have a small fortune and can leave," she said.

Abir, another prostitute, said that the emergence of new professional sectors in the labor market such as telecommunications and insurance have compelled prostitutes to improve the quality of their services, especially since prices are peaking.

Rasha's customers initially paid from $100 to $200 for a few hours. However, in the wake of increased capital she decided to fully devote her time to prostitution and charge more since her customers could afford it.

According to the young Syrian Samer, prostitution is like any other profession in which the price depends on supply and demand. "Prostitution is gradually becoming a legitimate profession, considered mainly as part of tourism," he explained.

The impression of prostitutes working in the area was that the most prominent prostitutes working at night clubs were from Iraq and the Arab Maghreb countries.

Well, that's one way to keep the Syrian economy from collapsing.

No word yet on how Iran feels about this....