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Protests Erupt in Syria Over Fuel Price Hikes
Confirmed
In Short: Protests have erupted across several Syrian cities following a 40% increase in diesel prices and a 28% hike in petrol, prompting fierce debate on social media.
Protests were reported in Hama, Khan Sheikhoun, and Maarat al-Numan after the Syrian government raised fuel prices by up to 40% on Sunday, citing higher global procurement costs and an overhaul of the Baniyas refinery.
Demonstrators blocked a main highway linking Damascus to Aleppo and burned tires, leading to several hours of disruption. The price increases also sparked debate on social media as Syria seeks to rebuild after 14 years of war.
The Syrian government cited an increase in global fuel costs and an expansion of the Baniyas refinery's capacity from 80,000 to 130,000 barrels per day as reasons for the price hikes. The Ministry of Energy promised to review prices and expand refining capacity in the long term.
Syria's fuel supplies are crucial for its economic recovery, but the country currently produces only about 102,000 barrels of oil a day, far short of the domestic demand of roughly 325,000 barrels, necessitating imports of Russian crude oil.
What's confirmed
- Protests were reported in Hama, Khan Sheikhoun and Maarat al-Numan.
What's still developing
- The government raised prices on Sunday by up to 40 percent on diesel and 28 percent on petrol, in what it said were temporary increases caused by a sharp rise in the global cost of securing fuel.
- Demonstrators burn tyres and block highways as protests over increased fuel prices grip Syrian cities.
- Saudi Arabia Discovers 110 Million Tonnes of Uranium-Bearing Ore Syria raised diesel prices 40% and gasoline prices by as much as 28% on Saturday, and protesters blocked the highway linking Damascus to Aleppo and burned tires along the road to Turkey within 24 hours, the widest unrest since Bashar al-Assad's fall in December 2024.
- Diesel now costs 175 Syrian pounds a liter and household and industrial gas prices climbed roughly 9%.
- Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have cut that output and pushed Moscow to restrict diesel and gasoline exports, tightening the supply reaching Syria just as domestic refining capacity fell.
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