Damascus, December 07 (QNA) - Qatar's support has played a pivotal role in strengthening infrastructure, revitalizing the economy and improving living conditions in Syria following the Syrian revolution, according to Syrian officials.

In statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) marking the first anniversary of the revolution's victory, they said that natural gas supplies to Syria, financed by the State of Qatar through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), have tangibly enhanced the capacity of the Syrian electricity sector, increased daily power supply hours and directly improved living conditions for citizens.

They added that the support has also helped stimulate economic activity, facilitate the operation of industrial and commercial facilities, strengthen Syria’s integration into the regional economic cycle, and open new opportunities for both domestic and foreign investment.

Officials said the support represents a strategic step toward achieving energy stability, revitalizing production and improving the efficiency of vital infrastructure across various Syrian cities. They added that it has fostered a growing sense of optimism among citizens and business owners regarding the state’s ability to secure the energy required to meet the needs of key productive and service sectors.

They noted that this has had a positive impact on daily life, stimulated market activity, boosted commercial operations and helped create additional job opportunities. The support, they added, is also expected to strengthen the confidence of both local and foreign investors in the stability of Syria's energy sector and the reliability of its infrastructure.

In this context, Dr. Raghda Zaidan, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labor in Syria, said the improvement in electricity supply has had a clear and direct impact on the lives of residents in many areas. She noted that movement and transportation have become safer, while the delivery of services has become easier with the availability of the power needed to operate government institutions and service centers.

Speaking to QNA, Dr. Zaidan added that economic activity has begun to return to its normal pace with the resumption of work in workshops and production facilities, contributing to the creation of new job opportunities. She expressed optimism that this activity will further accelerate with the launch of reconstruction efforts in the coming period.

She said the State of Qatar has provided extensive support to the Syrian people across multiple sectors, adding that cooperation with Qatari ministries and government agencies is ongoing and steadily expanding, particularly in the areas of social welfare, labor and employment. This, she noted, reflects Qatar's unwavering support for Syria and its stability.

She added that the Syrian people will never forget this support, which extends beyond the energy sector to include a wide range of fields, notably social services and initiatives that contribute to improving the conditions of Syrian families and society as a whole.

For his part, Director General of the Syrian Investment Authority Talal Al Hilali said the introduction of Qatari gas into Syria's energy system, along with the significant improvement in the stability of electricity supplies, represents a major boost to the investment climate. He stressed that a stable power supply is a fundamental prerequisite for launching industrial and commercial projects and ensuring the regular operation of production lines, helping reduce operating costs and increase production capacity, thereby enhancing investor confidence in key industrial and commercial centers.

Al Hilali said that any support contributing to the improvement of energy infrastructure directly encourages the return of local and foreign capital. He added that the improvement has enabled the reactivation of facilities that had previously ceased operations and facilitated the launch of new projects in the industrial, technological, communications, energy and agricultural sectors, strengthening the readiness of vital sectors to expand existing projects or initiate new ones.

He concluded by stressing that the support provided by the State of Qatar represents a continuation of its longstanding fraternal stance, reaffirming its firm commitment to supporting the Syrian people and strengthening the country's capabilities in the fields of energy and infrastructure. He said the progress achieved today contributes to reinforcing the path of recovery and development, improving overall economic indicators and enhancing the competitiveness of Syrian products in local and regional markets.

For his part, former Syrian Minister of Communications Mohammed Yassin Al Najjar said the support provided through the supply of natural gas to Syria, funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), represents a pivotal step that goes beyond energy security, describing it as a strategic driver for boosting production and achieving broader economic stability.

Al Najjar explained that the shift from reliance on costly traditional fuels to natural gas has significantly reduced the cost of government electricity generation and eased pressure on the public budget. He noted that savings on the fuel bill have exceeded 90 percent for the portion covered by the grant -- funds that would otherwise have been paid in hard currency had conventional fuel sources been used.

He added that this stability in supply has enabled major power plants to operate at higher efficiency, directly supporting the smooth functioning of industrial supply chains. This, he said, has allowed factories and workshops to adopt consistent production schedules, avoid downtime and reduce costly dependence on private generators, thereby enhancing the regional competitiveness of Syrian products.

Al Najjar stressed that stable energy supply is a prerequisite for the return of investment, noting that Qatar's role as a key supporter of the sector sends a strong signal of confidence to both local and foreign investors. This, he said, will help revive stalled projects, encourage the launch of new ventures and drive a broader recovery in industry, services and commercial markets, with a direct impact on overall economic performance.

He further noted that the flow of gas through multiple regional routes, in coordination with Jordan and Turkey and with Qatari support, opens the door for Syria's reintegration into the regional economic cycle, creates new partnership opportunities with regional investors and financiers, reduces reliance on imported liquid petroleum products, supports the availability of foreign currency needed to import raw materials, helps stabilize the exchange rate and eases pressure on foreign currency reserves.

Al Najjar noted that cities supplied with electricity generated through this support have witnessed tangible improvements in living standards and a decline in social tensions. He noted that households and shops can now operate for longer hours, while charging and refrigeration capabilities have improved, with positive effects on markets and essential services.

For his part, Executive Vice President of the Syrian Petroleum Company Waleed Youssef said that the grant provided by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), which provides 3.4 million cubic meters of gas per day, has contributed to a significant improvement in the electricity situation, as this quantity represents about half of what the power generation stations were achieving from local gas before the start of the new supply, while local production amounts to about seven million cubic meters per day.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he said that this improvement was directly reflected in economic activities in all governorates, and contributed to increasing the hours of electricity supply, and raising the operating capacity of production lines in factories and commercial establishments, which contributed to improving the daily lives of Syrian citizens, and created a general sense of relief in Syrian cities. The increase in electricity supply hours included all governorates, not just major cities, and allowed citizens to operate household appliances better, improve the level of services, and significantly stimulate commercial activity.

In turn, General Director of the General Company for Transmission and Distribution of Electricity in Syria Khaled Abu Di revealed that Qatari support has been a cornerstone in strengthening the capabilities of the Syrian electricity sector. He pointed out that the first phase of support included providing one million cubic meters per day through gas pipelines connecting with Jordan, and using it directly in the Deir Ali power plant, which contributed to improving electricity supply in various Syrian governorates.

He said that the second phase, which included supplying Syria with 3.4 million cubic meters per day via the interconnection lines with Turkey, with Qatari funding, enabled the generation of about 500 megawatts, or about 30% of the sector’s current production capacity of about 2,200 megawatts.

He confirmed that the hours have increased from between 4-5 hours to between 7-8 hours daily, with slight variations between the governorates, and that cooperation with Qatar includes training programs, exchange of experiences and technical consultations, to enhance the efficiency of the sector and ensure its sustainability. He explained that the total amount of gas currently available is about 9.5 million cubic meters per day, including local production and quantities funded by Qatar, which are quantities capable of generating approximately 1500 megawatts, which has contributed to raising the efficiency of station operations, improving the performance of the national grid, and significantly increasing supply hours.

Meanwhile, economist and banking expert Ibrahim Nafi Qushji said that the entry of Qatari-funded gas constituted a turning point in the cost of electricity production and the stability of supply chains. He explained that the technical plan to increase the flow from 750,000 cubic meters per day to 3.4 million cubic meters, within the national package, has provided greater stability to the network and contributed to raising the hours of supply to between 8-10 hours in industrial cities, which improves the efficiency of production lines and reduces reliance on high-cost commercial generators.

Qushji emphasized that this stability strengthens the commercial and service sectors, increases the reliability of supply chains, health services and digital education, creates a framework for regional energy partnerships, and contributes to gradually reducing the fuel import bill, while providing better opportunities for local and foreign investment. He pointed out that this improvement was reflected in the operation of factories in Aleppo, raising the rates of utilization in production lines, creating direct job opportunities, and improving the performance of facilities and services in the cities.

In the same context, economist expert specializing in economic development and Middle Eastern economies Khaled Al Terkawi said that Qatari gas helped restart the Syrian industrial machine and that investors became more confident in returning to production. He added that investors have become more confident about returning to production, noting a clear increase in subscriptions for industrial plots, along with a noticeable movement in home maintenance and the restoration of public institutions, which was not possible before the improvement in electricity hours.

In a statement to QNA, Al Terkawi confirmed that the Qatari decision reflects a smart investment vision to reintegrate the Syrian economy into the system of the region’s economies, and that Syria today has an industrial and agricultural base and a qualified workforce that allows it to be integrated with the Qatari economy. Electricity has also improved in most areas, which has been reflected in commercial activity and markets, water supply, and improved internet quality, and has gradually restored life to major cities such as Damascus, Aleppo and Homs, while boosting economic and service activity. (QNA)