Qatar begins providing Syria with natural gas through Jordan Economy news

Today, Thursday, the State of Qatar began providing approved supplies of natural gas to Syria across Jordanian territory, in a move aimed at addressing the severe shortage of electricity and improving the infrastructure performance in this country.

The Qatar News Agency reported that this initiative comes within the framework of signing an agreement between the Qatar Development Fund and the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program, which will supervise the executive aspects of the project.

The Qatar Development Fund said in a statement today that the Qatari supplies will allow the generation of up to 400 megawatts of electricity per day in the first stage, provided that the productive capacity will gradually rise in the Deir Ali station in Syria.

The fund added that electricity will be distributed to several Syrian regions, including the capital, Damascus, its countryside, As -Suwayda, Daraa, Quneitra, Homs, Hama, Tartous, Lattakia, Aleppo and Deir Al -Zour, which will contribute to improving basic services and enhancing the stability of affected societies.

The agency quoted the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund, Fahd bin Hamad Al -Sulaiti, to confirm the importance of this cooperation in supporting sustainable development and enhancing regional solidarity.

“This initiative represents a pivotal step towards meeting the needs of the Syrian people from energy, and reflects a common commitment between all parties to work together for the interest of the region,” Al -Sulaiti said.

Al -Sulaiti talked about the continuation of the State of Qatar – through the fund – to “support the Syrian brothers, respond to their urgent needs, and enhance their steadfastness to build a more stable and prosperous future.”

This initiative embodies- according to the agency- the commitment of the State of Qatar to “support the Syrian people in various humanitarian and relief fields, and contribute to the efforts of recovery and reconstruction, in a manner that ensures the access of basic services and the achievement of a safer and sustainable future for all.”

Gas approved supplies

For its part, the official Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted the Chargé d’Affairs of the Qatari embassy in Damascus, Khalifa Abdullah Al Mahmoud Al -Sharif, his announcement of a Qatari initiative to provide approved supplies of natural gas to Syria through Jordanian territory for a specified period.

The agency also quoted Syrian Electricity Minister Omar Sharouk as saying that Qatar will contribute to supporting the energy sector in Syria by providing two million cubic meters of natural gas per day.

Reuters quoted sources as saying that the Qatari gas will be transported from Jordan through a pipeline to the Deir Ali power station in southern Syria, as it can enhance the electricity supply of up to 400 megawatts.

Syria suffers from a severe shortage of electricity, and what the state provides from it is only available for two or 3 hours per day in most regions.

The damage to the electricity network means that the generation of electricity and the supply of residents with more of them is only part of the problem, according to a Reuters report.

Damascus is accustomed to receiving most of the oil for generating electricity from Iran, but the supplies were cut off since the overthrow of Bashar al -Assad last December.

The transitional government pledged to increase electricity supplies quickly in ways, including importing from Jordan and the use of floating power plants that have not yet arrived, according to the Reuters report.