Interview: Mohammed Yisr Barnieh, Minister of Finance, on rebuilding trust, driving reform and fostering growth How much has the Ministry of Finance changed since your arrival in 2025? MOHAMMED YISR BARNIEH: The transformation of the ministry has been guided by a clear institutional vision. The Ministry of Finance Strategy 2026-30 was introduced around three strategic pillars: improving public finances,…

Interview: Abdulkader AlHussrieh, Ambassador and former Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, on developing a functioning interbank market and deepening intermediation In which ways are economic relations between Syria and North America developing? ABDULKADER ALHUSSRIEH: Syria’s economic relationship with the United States is evolving from one of limited engagement and financial isolation into…

Interview: Ahmad Jamal Zidan, General Manager, Arab Bank Syria, on adopting policies centred on stability and economic recovery How will banks recalibrate foreign exchange (FX) pricing and liquidity management after the pound partially retracted from its April 2025 peak? AHMAD JAMAL ZIDAN: The FX market is clearly shifting towards more market-driven pricing. Banks have already begun adapting their…

Interview: Mohamed Haykal, Chairman of Haykal Group, on navigating an economic reawakening and emerging potential What makes this reconstruction period an especially important moment for economic and social development in Syria? MOHAMED HAYKAL: As Syria emerges from a long period of dictatorship and lawlessness to rejoin the free world, it is undergoing a profound transformation. I have returned…