Egypt Daily News – Three informed sources said on Thursday that Qatar will begin supplying gas to Syria via Jordan to boost the country’s limited energy supply. A U.S. official stated that the move has Washington’s approval.
This will be the most significant tangible support for the new administration in Damascus from Qatar, one of the region’s staunchest opponents of the ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and a key backer of the opposition that removed him before taking power.
A U.S. official stated that the gas deal had received approval from President Donald Trump’s administration, without specifying how the communication took place.
The green light and ongoing efforts to encourage an agreement between Kurdish forces in northern Syria and Damascus indicate that the United States remains actively involved in Syria, even though Washington’s approach to easing sanctions on Syria is more cautious than that of European countries.
Two sources stated that the gas would be transported from Jordan via a pipeline to the Deir Ali power station in southern Syria, potentially boosting electricity supply by up to 400 megawatts.
Two Jordanian officials said they were unaware of any Qatari gas shipments arriving by sea in the coming days. Another official mentioned that the gas could be supplied with Qatari funding.
The U.S. and Qatari foreign ministries did not respond to email requests for comment.
Syria suffers from a severe electricity shortage, with state-provided power available for only two to three hours per day in most areas. The damage to the power grid means that generating and supplying more electricity is only part of the problem.
Damascus previously relied on Iranian oil for power generation, but supplies were cut off following Bashar al-Assad’s removal in December by opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
The transitional government has pledged to quickly increase electricity supplies through measures such as importing from Jordan and using floating power stations, which have yet to arrive.
A Western diplomat familiar with the gas supply plan said this initiative is part of Qatar’s broader efforts to secure political backing from Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, by providing tangible financial support to strengthen Syria’s new rulers.
“They are keen to offer something in the end, even if it doesn’t make a huge difference,” the diplomat added.
Gulf support has largely not materialized in the form of substantial official aid due to U.S. sanctions on Syria, despite exemptions issued in January that allowed some transactions, including in the energy sector.
However, these exemptions did not lift any sanctions, and entities seeking to work with Syria have sought additional assurances.
Reuters reported last month that Qatar was reluctant to fund salary increases for Syria’s public sector employees due to concerns over whether such financial transfers would violate U.S. sanctions.
