Eleven years after the eruption of war in Syria, a peaceful and inclusive political settlement of the conflict is still a long way off. The military presence of five foreign states (Iran, Israel, Russia, Turkey, and the US) has divided the country into areas of influence, in which Syrians live under different degrees of poverty, repression and despair. The publication "Looking Ahead. Geopolitical Dynamics and Scenarios for Syria in 2030" looks beyond current and short-term developments to understand how the interests and priorities of the most relevant regional and international actors might have changed by the end of the decade. It also lays out plausible scenarios for different parts of Syria and the country as a whole and identifies entry points for German and European policies.