Ahmed al-Sulaiman, Director of Government Communications at Syria’s Energy Ministry, outlined the reasons behind the recent reduction in fuel prices.

Speaking to the state-run al-Ikhbariyah TV channel on Wednesday, November 12, he said several factors contributed to the decrease, foremost among them a pickup in domestic production. Syria is now producing some petroleum derivatives, helping bring prices down, with current output at 120,000 barrels of oil per day and seven million cubic meters of gas per day, he said.

According to al-Sulaiman, the Baniyas refinery (on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, in Tartus governorate) is operating at 80 percent of its capacity, while the Homs refinery (central Syria) is operating at between 30 and 40 percent. He noted that local refining is less costly than importing petroleum products from abroad, adding that imports are bound by supplier-imposed prices, whereas domestic production allows authorities to set prices by studying costs and offering them at appropriate levels.

Al-Sulaiman said the Energy Ministry has moved ahead with reforms in the electricity and petroleum derivatives sectors to balance consumption and cost.

He added that lowering fuel prices will affect all aspects of living costs, including freight and commodity transport fees, which should be reflected in final prices. He explained there will be a comprehensive study, in coordination with the Transport Ministry, to reduce public transport fares in line with the fuel price cuts.

The official also said fuel prices in Syria are now very close to those in neighboring countries, which should curb the smuggling of domestically produced petroleum derivatives abroad, a phenomenon prevalent under the former regime.

Price reduction

Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir issued a decision setting new, reduced prices for petroleum derivatives (gasoline, diesel, household gas cylinders, and industrial gas cylinders), based on Presidential Decision No. 9 of 2025 and Decree No. 150 of the same year.

Under the decision, prices are as follows:

• Gasoline Octane 90, 0.85 US dollars per liter (10,030 SYP)

• Diesel, 0.75 US dollars per liter (8,100 SYP)

• Household gas cylinder, 12 kg, 10.5 US dollars per cylinder (113,400 SYP)

• Industrial gas cylinder, 16 kg, 16.8 US dollars per cylinder (181,440 SYP)

The new decision takes effect as of Wednesday, November 12, and cancels all previous decisions that contradict its provisions.

A Syrian government source told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Tuesday that there is a comprehensive plan to reform the energy sector, particularly regarding fuel and petroleum derivative pricing.

In a post on X, Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said the decision falls within a comprehensive reform plan for the energy sector that aims to balance consumption and enhance resource efficiency, adding that it was taken to ease the cost-of-living burden on citizens as winter approaches.

The decision comes one day after the Syrian Company for Storage and Distribution of Petroleum Products (SADCOP) announced that, as of November 10 and based on an 11,700 SYP exchange rate used by the company, fuel prices were as follows:

• Gasoline (90), 1.10 US dollars (12,870 SYP)

• Diesel, 0.95 US dollars (11,120 SYP)

• Gasoline Octane 95, 1.23 US dollars (14,400 SYP)

• Household gas cylinder via distributors/company centers, 11.8 US dollars (138,000 SYP)

• Industrial gas cylinder via distributors, 18.88 US dollars (221,000 SYP)