Syria is seeking to redefine its position as a regional energy hub as it rebuilds its war-damaged energy sector and opens the door to foreign investment, Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir has said.
“We view this stage not only as a recovery for what we have lost, but also as an opportunity to redefine Syria’s position as an active partner and a vital regional hub contributing to regional and international energy security,” al-Bashir told the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Washington.
He said Syria’s energy sector had been badly affected by 14 years of civil war, but that the country was now moving toward reconstruction, economic openness and stronger international partnerships.
Al-Bashir said Damascus had chosen the energy sector as a key channel for international engagement.
He said Syria had launched or advanced partnerships in recent months with global companies including Chevron, ConocoPhillips, HKN Energy, GE, TotalEnergies, Simmons and Ansaldo, while talks were continuing with Italian and other European firms.
“Syria’s doors are open to responsible investment and long-term partnerships,” he said.
The minister also pointed to a $7 billion investment agreement with Qatar’s UCC Holding and its partners, covering electricity, infrastructure and renewable energy projects, as well as additional cooperation with Turkish and Gulf companies.
The remarks came as Syria seeks economic reconstruction and diplomatic reintegration after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024 and the formation of a transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The United States, the European Union and Britain moved in 2025 to lift or ease sanctions on Syria, including measures affecting the energy sector, opening space for new investment and reconstruction projects.
Syrian Petroleum Company CEO Youssef Qablawi also said Syria saw an opportunity to become an export route for Iraqi oil amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
He outlined plans to rebuild the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, a route linking Iraq’s oil-rich Kirkuk region to Syria’s Mediterranean port of Baniyas.
Qablawi said the project had been discussed with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and was supported by Washington.
He said Syria expected further stabilization in oil production by the end of 2026 and projected that output could reach 1 million barrels per day by 2030.
The Kirkuk-Baniyas route has returned to the regional energy agenda as countries seek alternatives to vulnerable maritime chokepoints.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important oil transit routes, with around 20 million barrels of crude oil and oil products passing through it daily.
Qablawi said current tensions in the Gulf had created a strategic opening for Syria.
“The war which has happened now in the Gulf area and Hormuz gives us that chance and opportunity to be the hub or exported land for Iraqi fuel oil and oil,” he said.
