Latest news with #MohammedAlBashir
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Syrian, Iraqi energy ministers discuss Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline
LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic's Energy Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir on Tuesday discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani. Al-Bashir stressed Syria's need for oil imports, and proposed linking pipelines between the two countries, noting that the Kirkuk-Baniyas line was no longer functional. Iraq's deputy prime minister spoke of his country's interest in reactivating the 850 km pipeline and suggested evaluating whether to repair it or build a new one due to regional events affecting oil exports, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Pumping stations along the Kirkuk–Baniyas route are largely destroyed and need full restoration, the SANA added. Discussions in Baghdad also included plans for laying optical cables alongside the oil pipelines and connecting them to Lebanon. Both parties agreed to establish joint technical teams and a primary coordination committee. Syrian Deputy Energy Minister Ghiyath Diab also attended the meeting.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Syria seeks to revive Iraq oil pipeline
Syria's energy minister is planning to visit Iraq to push for the revival of the now-defunct pipeline that had carried crude oil from Iraq to a Syrian port on the Mediterranean Sea for many years in the past century. Mohammed Al-Bashir said he would meet officials in Baghdad for talks on the rehabilitation of the damaged 850-kilometre pipeline which would supply crude to Syria and also provide a new outlet for Iraq to market its oil. 'I will visit Iraq soon to discuss the rehabilitation of the oil pipeline which links Iraq's Kirkuk city with the Syrian Baniyas port,' Al-Bashir said, quoted by Iraq's Sumeria news agency. The agency said resuming oil flow through the pipeline would ensure sufficient crude supplies for Syria and allow it to slash a high bill of importing crude by tankers. Iraqi government spokesman Bassim Al-Awadi said in early 2025 that Baghdad is thinking of reviving the pipeline to expand export outlets. The pipeline, dating back to the early 1950s, linked Iraq's oil-rich Northern Kirkuk province with the Western Syrian port of Baniyas. It was crippled during the 1956 Suez crisis before it was rehabilitated in the following years. Between 1982 and 2000 Iraq shut the pipeline due to political rifts with Syria and it was crippled after it sustained heavy damages during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. Over the past few years, Iraq has considered new outlets for its crude exports to lessen reliance on the risky Hormuz Strait and following the shutdown of a 970-km pipeline connecting Kirkuk with Ceyhan in Turkey due to rifts between Baghdad and Ankara. One of the alternatives was the construction of a multi-billion-dollar pipeline from the Southern Iraqi port of Basra to Aqaba port in South Jordan. The plan was proposed a few years ago but it was suspended due to financial and security reasons. 'The Iraq-Syria pipeline is one of the vital projects that shaped the oil industry in Iraq and the entire region,' Iraqi Prime Minister's spokesman Mudhar Saleh said in statements early this year. 'Iraq remains in need to revive plans to expand its oil export outlets through the Mediterranean for its European clients…but this issue requires negotiations between the two countries because the pipeline's part in Syria had been aggressively nationalised by Damascus,' Saleh added. Iraq, which controls the world's fifth largest proven oil deposits, is OPEC's second largest crude producer with current output of around 4.2 million barrels per day. It exports nearly 3.4 million bpd, mostly through the narrow Hormuz, the only gateway to the oil-oil Gulf. (Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
Arab News
28-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia, Syria sign deal to boost energy ties
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Syria are strengthening their energy cooperation through a new agreement that covers oil and gas, petrochemicals, electricity, regional grid integration, and renewable energy. The memorandum of understanding was signed by the Kingdom's Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and his Syrian counterpart, Mohammed Al-Bashir, following a meeting held in Riyadh, according to a statement. The move is part of Saudi Arabia's drive to strengthen ties across key investment sectors and support shared goals of economic growth and sustainable development with Syria. It also aligns with the Kingdom's recent signing of $6.4 billion in investment deals with Syria, marking a major step toward re-engaging economically and supporting the country's reconstruction efforts. HRH Minister of Energy meets with the Syrian Minister of Energy to discuss topics of mutual interest and explore opportunities for cooperation between the two countries across various energy sectors. — وزارة الطاقة (@MoEnergy_Saudi) July 27, 2025 'During the meeting, the two sides explored cooperation opportunities between the two countries across various energy sectors and ways to enhance them, including oil and its supplies, electricity, renewable energy, and energy efficiency,' the Kingdom's Ministry of Energy said. 'They also reviewed investment opportunities, and the exchange of expertise in developing projects, policies, and regulatory frameworks in the Kingdom's energy sector, as part of broader efforts to support the development journey of the Syrian Arab Republic,' it added. Following the talks, Saudi and Syrian business leaders affirmed their readiness to support the redevelopment of Syria's energy infrastructure, as announced during a high-level meeting in Riyadh. The participants presented proposals for joint projects focused on conventional and renewable energy sectors, signaling a potential shift toward greater regional investment collaboration. Al-Bashir outlined his ministry's recent achievements and its strategic direction, despite prevailing challenges, reported the Syrian Arab News Agency. HRH Minister of Energy signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Syrian Minister of Energy, to enhance cooperation between the two brotherly countries in the energy sector. — وزارة الطاقة (@MoEnergy_Saudi) July 27, 2025 Al-Bashir said economic partnerships and investor engagement are crucial to advancing the energy sector and welcomed collaborative initiatives aimed at enhancing development efforts. The talks coincide with a broader renewal of Saudi-Syrian relations, underlined by the July Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus. Earlier in July, a Saudi delegation visiting Damascus announced investment and partnership deals valued at $5 billion to help rebuild war-battered Syria. The agreements span vital and strategic sectors, including real estate, infrastructure, communications, IT, transportation and logistics, industry, tourism, energy, trade, and more, AFP reported at the time, citing a statement from the investment ministry. According to official data from Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics, Syria was the Kingdom's 53rd largest export destination in April, with non-oil exports rising by 153.3 percent year on year to reach SR81.9 million. Syria ranked 60th among countries supplying goods to Saudi Arabia, with imports totaling SR78.5 million in April, representing a sharp 149.7 percent year-over-year increase.
Arab News
27-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi and Syrian business leaders commit to energy sector revival
RIYADH: Saudi and Syrian business leaders affirmed their readiness to support the redevelopment of Syria's energy infrastructure following a high-level meeting in Riyadh. The participants presented proposals for joint projects focused on conventional and renewable energy sectors, signaling a potential shift toward greater regional investment collaboration. During the meeting, which included members of the Syrian expatriate community and Saudi business executives, Syrian Minister of Energy Mohammed Al-Bashir outlined the ministry's recent achievements and its strategic direction despite prevailing challenges, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. He said economic partnerships and investor engagement are essential to advancing the energy sector and welcomed collaborative initiatives aimed at bolstering development efforts. The talks coincide with a broader renewal of Saudi-Syrian relations, underlined by the July Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus. In a follow-up to that momentum, business leaders at the recent Riyadh meeting 'affirmed their readiness to help rebuild infrastructure and expand investment opportunities in both conventional and renewable energy,' according to the report by SANA. The forum united over 120 investors and executives from the Kingdom's public and private sectors and witnessed the signing of 47 agreements and memoranda of understanding valued at SR24 billion ($6.4 billion). The conference also marked a significant deepening of bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including energy, real estate, infrastructure, telecommunications, and finance. The recent meeting builds on the SR11 billion in infrastructure commitments made during the forum, notably the inauguration of the Fayhaa White Cement Factory in Adra Industrial City. The plant, backed by a $20 million investment from Northern Region Cement Co., is the first of its kind in Syria and is projected to create over 1,100 direct and indirect jobs. Additional agreements worth SR4 billion targeted the telecommunications sector, while cooperation in agriculture, financial services, health care, education, and IT were also highlighted. The forum's economic significance builds upon recent diplomatic and financial milestones. Saudi Arabia officially reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2024 after a 12-year hiatus. In April, the Kingdom, in coordination with Qatar, settled Syria's $15 million debt to the World Bank, enabling access to multilateral funding for redevelopment. Syrian and Saudi officials emphasized the historical and cultural ties between the two nations, framing the forum as a key moment in rebuilding economic cooperation. Syrian Economy Minister Mohammad Al-Shaar described the event as a 'historic milestone,' while Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih underscored the Kingdom's long-term commitment to supporting Syria's path to recovery and sustainable growth.
Zawya
25-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
World Bank to give Syria $146mln to improve electricity supply
The World Bank has approved a $146 million grant to help Syria restore reliable, affordable electricity and support the country's economic recovery, it said in a statement on Wednesday. After 14 years of war, Syria's electricity infrastructure has suffered severe damage to grids and power stations, causing persistent fuel shortages. The grant will support strategic projects, including linking the electricity grids between Syria and Turkey, and Syria and Jordan, and bolstering energy security, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said in a post on X in which he thanked the World Bank for approving it. (Reporting by Jana Choukeir; Writing by Nayera Abdallah, additional reporting by Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Alison Williams and Ed Osmond)
