Damascus – To address the severe shortage in electricity production and improve the living conditions of the people in Syria, the State of Qatar, following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will provide reliable natural gas supplies to Syria through the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.

This vital Qatari initiative comes as part of an agreement signed by the Qatar Fund for Development, providing a financing amount of US$63.75 million to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan. UNDP will leverage its leading role in support of the electricity sector in Syria to provide operational support if and when required to ensure that the gas supplied reaches the Deir Ali plant to increase energy production, while preventing damage to the environment.

In this context, Mr Fahad bin Hamad Al-Sulaiti, the Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development, emphasized the importance of this collaboration in supporting sustainable development and enhancing regional solidarity. He stated, "This initiative represents an important step towards meeting Syria's energy needs and reflects a shared commitment among all parties to work collectively for the benefit of the region. The fund will continue to support the brotherly Syrian people, respond to their urgent needs, and strengthen their resilience to ensure a stable and prosperous future".

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Arab States, Abdallah Al Dardari, thanked the Qatar Fund for Development for their strategic partnership with UNDP and unwavering support of global development challenges. Dr Al Dardari reaffirmed that the electricity sector is the backbone of Syria’s recovery efforts, essential not only for the delivery of basic services but also for the broader economic recovery and social cohesion. “The limited access to electricity impacts the daily lives of millions of Syrians, severely restricting their ability to meet basic needs and contributing to increased vulnerabilities. We are grateful for the State of Qatar’s timely contribution. We call upon all partners to invest in the restoration of Syria’s electricity sector to prevent it from collapsing. The sector’s size and importance make it too big to fail”, he added. 

Over a period of 50 days, the initiative will provide reliable natural gas supplies, enabling the generation of 400 megawatts of electricity daily at the Deir Ali power plant in Syria. The electricity will be distributed to several Syrian cities, including Damascus, Rural Damascus, As Suwayda, Daraa, Al Qunaitra, Homs, Hama, Tartus, Lattakia, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zour, contributing to the improvement of basic services and enhancing the stability of affected communities.

This initiative reflects the State of Qatar's commitment and support to the Syrian people in humanitarian and relief fields, contributing to recovery and reconstruction efforts, and ensuring the provision of essential services to achieve a more stable and prosperous future for all.

It is worth noting that the electricity sector in Syria has been adversely impacted by the 14 years of prolonged crisis, socio-economic decline, and insufficient maintenance. From 2010 to 2024, the country’s electricity generation capacity has plummeted from 5,800 MW to 2,000 MW in 2024 and between 1,200 – 1,500 MW at the beginning of 2025. The catastrophic losses in the energy and electricity sector have severe humanitarian consequences, impacting critical sectors such as WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), healthcare, education, and agriculture. This is in addition to the damage to public health and environmental pollution.

For further information, please contact:

Dania Darwish, Communications Specialist | Tel: 00963 (11) 6129811 | Mobile: 00963 989857937 | 
e-mail: dania.darwish@undp.org | For more information on UNDP Syria http://www.undp.org/Syria.