Enab Baladi – Hassan Ibrahim

Al-Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo sports club has witnessed changes in its management, players, and sponsors. The signs of change began with the election of Shadi Helwa as the Chairman of its board, supported by five companies, four of which belong to the Qaterji family, the war-lords in Syria.

An ancient and reputable club with a history of titles and championships now finds itself under the control of a military media figure who has long played the narrative of the regime. Some see this as the beginning of new championships, while others view it as the start of a decline for the “Ahli Fortress,” with unworthy names ascending to its management.

“By acclamation”

On July 1st, the General Sport Federation in Syria announced the election of journalist Shadi Helwa as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ahli Aleppo, succeeding the former president, Rasin Martini.

Helwa’s election was “by acclamation” after the withdrawal of candidate Ziad Sheikh Omar, in the presence of the Secretary of the Baath Party branch (the ruling party in Syria) in Aleppo, Ahmed Mansour, and the Vice President of the Sports Federation, Omar al-Aroub.

Helwa has no experience in sports, having entered it through membership in the board of Ahli Aleppo in September 2023. After assuming the presidency of the club’s board, he promised to stop financial bleeding and create savings, claiming to have managed to save 600 million Syrian pounds ($38,960 USD) through “clearing” with all the club’s creditors.

The club’s management also launched a new official kit design for the first football team, featuring numbers and names in Arabic, along with Aleppo’s historical landmarks, such as the Aleppo Citadel, a layout of the old city, and sponsors’ logos. The kit design was extended to other teams within the club.

Five sponsors, War profiteers

The number of sponsors for Ahli Aleppo in the 2024-2025 season has reached five companies, four of which belong to the Qaterji family: Qaterji Holding Group, Al-Khair Holding Group, Arfada Petroleum Holding Group, and Golden Gate Company. The other sponsor is the National Islamic Bank.

The Qaterji family’s financial support for Ahli Aleppo is not new. In 2019, the Qaterji Group announced financial support for Al-Ittihad Club amounting to 55 million Syrian pounds.

The group’s media advisor, Shadi Helwa, stated in a press conference that the amount was provided to reorganize the club’s internal affairs, denying any intention for the group to interfere in the club’s internal matters.

Helwa then claimed that “the group’s management provided the amount without any condition or return, whether material or advertising,” while the then-Chairman of the club, Moufid Mazyak, confirmed that in appreciation of the group’s contribution, their logo would be placed on the men’s football team’s jerseys.

The Qaterji family is among the new war profiteers close to the Syrian regime, which allowed the family’s influence to expand and strengthen its presence in the country’s economy.

As for the National Islamic Bank, it began providing allowed banking services in mid-October 2023, through its headquarters in Damascus. Three individuals founded it: Imad Din Hussein Ghosn, Mustafa Ghazal Hamwi, and Imad Hanna Hanna.

Economics researcher Dr. Karam Shaar shared an image of the bank’s founding decision in April 2023. He explained that front companies help Syrian investors avoid Western sanctions by placing the company’s Lebanese arm front and center with the outside world, thus also aiding in tax avoidance.

Al-Ittihad Club was founded in 1949 under the name Ahli Aleppo and kept that name until 1971 when it was changed to Al-Ittihad.

Al-Ittihad Aleppo is one of the venerable sports clubs in Syria and participates in the most popular sports in Syria, especially football and basketball.

In March 2022, the General Sports Federation in Syria reissued a decision to return the name of Al-Ittihad Sports Club in Aleppo to Al-Ittihad Ahli Aleppo.

Notable achievements:

Won the Syrian Football League Championship 6 times.

Won the Syrian Cup 10 times.

Won the AFC Cup once.

Who is Shadi Helwa?

Pro-regime journalist Shadi Helwa serves as the editor-in-chief and responsible director of Sada FM radio. He has a strong relationship with the Qaterji Group, referring to them as his “brothers.”

Previously, Helwa worked as a correspondent for the Syrian Satellite Channel from Aleppo and Hama governorates and as a producer and host of the weekly “Here is Aleppo” program on the channel between 2015 and 2017. He also worked for the Radio and Television Center – Aleppo University and as a service journalist for two radio stations in Aleppo, in addition to his responsibilities as an employee in the Municipal Palace in Aleppo.

Helwa is considered one of the prominent pro-regime journalists in Aleppo. He participated in covering the regime forces’ battles in various areas in recent years and has faced widespread criticism and accusations from the opposition public of contributing to “distorting and misinforming the truth, encouraging the killing of civilians, and labeling armed opposition as terrorists.”

Helwa was injured while working as a correspondent for the Al-Ikhbariya Channel and the official SANA agency during the coverage of regime forces’ operations in the western countryside of Aleppo on February 12, 2020, along with photographers Sharif Abis and George Orfalyan, due to being targeted by opposition factions in the western countryside of Aleppo.