Qatar's Strategic Support in Syria's Reconstruction and Stability

Qatar is intensifying its efforts to support the reconstruction of Syria, through the provision of infrastructure programs and projects, alongside expanding humanitarian and healthcare aid for the Syrian people.

In a strategic and humanitarian move towards the Syrian people, Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, has instructed the commencement of natural gas supplies to Syria via Jordanian territory.

Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on March 13, 2025, that the initiative “aims to address the severe electricity production shortage and enhance the performance of the country's infrastructure.”

Qatar's Support 

“Over a period of 50 days, the initiative will provide natural gas supplies, enabling the generation of 400 megawatts of electricity daily at the Deir Ali power plant in Syria. The electricity will be distributed to several Syrian cities, including Damascus, Rural Damascus, As Suwayda, Daraa, Al Quneitra, Homs, Hama, Tartus, Latakia, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor, contributing to the improvement of basic services and enhancing the stability of affected communities,” according to UNDP.

The Deir Ali power station, located 35 kilometers from Damascus, was visited in February 2025 by a delegation from the Italian energy company Ansaldo to provide spare parts and maintain the station’s operations.

One of Syria’s largest and most modern power plants, Deir Ali has a capacity ranging from 1,400 to 1,500 megawatts, covering 40 percent of the country’s electrical grid.

The station feeds into the electrical grid, transmitting power to the largest substations in Dimas and Adra in rural Damascus via a 400-kilovolt transmission network.

“The gas deal had a nod of approval from President Donald Trump's administration without saying how this was communicated,” A U.S. official told Reuters.

The new Syrian state hopes to address the chronic power outages, with Qatar's support set to increase daily electricity hours from 2 to 4.

This tangible assistance marks one of the most significant gestures of support from Qatar to the new administration in Damascus, a country that has long been one of the strongest backers of the Syrian revolution over the years.

Unlike other Arab nations, Qatar never resumed diplomatic relations with Syria under the rule of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

This stance persisted even after Assad was granted Syria's seat at the Arab League in 2023 and attended the Arab summit in Jeddah in May of that year.

Qatar became the second country, after Turkiye, to reopen its embassy in Damascus following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024.

On January 16, 2025, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani made the first high-level visit to Syria after al-Assad's downfall, a move that set him apart from other leaders.

Additionally, the Emir of Qatar became the first head of state to visit Damascus on January 30, 2025, after the overthrow of al-Assad, where he met with transitional Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and pledged support for the rehabilitation of Syria's infrastructure.

Qatar's Infrastructure Support

In clarifying Qatar’s role in supporting the new Syrian state, Majed al-Ansari, advisor to the Prime Minister and spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, stated that the decision to supply Syria with electricity via Jordan was a response to the needs of the Syrian people, which were discussed by the Emir during his recent visit to Damascus.

In an interview with Syria TV, al-Ansari emphasized that the initiative focuses on supporting Syria's strategic infrastructure, particularly in the electricity sector, which is vital for the return of displaced persons and the improvement of essential services such as hospitals and schools.

He also stressed that stabilizing the power grid would contribute to boosting the economy by creating a conducive environment for the revival of industrial and economic institutions, thus generating widespread job opportunities.

Regarding the details of the supplies, al-Ansari revealed that Qatar will provide 400 megawatts of electricity daily in the first phase, with the possibility of gradually increasing this through the Deir Ali power station.

He confirmed that this step aims to enhance the sustainability of Syria’s power grid, which will have a positive impact on various vital sectors.

The Qatari official pointed out that the management of the electricity supply to Syria will be handled through the Qatar Development Fund, in collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the United Nations Development Programme.

He explained that the UNDP will oversee the implementation of the project, while Qatar will remain its primary long-term supporter. He noted that this commitment represents both a strategic and ethical step towards the Syrian people, paving the way for further Qatari efforts in the reconstruction of the country.

Since the early days following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the Qatari Red Crescent has played a pivotal role in providing comprehensive aid to Syria, including humanitarian, medical, and other forms of support.

Aid continues to flow into Syria via the Qatari airbridge, funded by the Qatar Development Fund and coordinated with the Qatari Red Crescent.

To date, the aid has included 13 royal aircraft carrying 33 trucks loaded with 364 tons of supplies, along with eight planes that arrived via Damascus International Airport.

Additionally, five planes have crossed borders, with one each in Jordan and Lebanon, and three in Turkiye, as stated by Mazen Abdullah, director of the Qatari Red Crescent office in Turkiye and Syria.

The Qatari Red Crescent plans to expand its operations in Syria to include the repair of homes damaged by airstrikes and the reconstruction of the country's collapsed infrastructure.

Qatar has designed several programs to support the Syrian people following the success of their revolution, including the electricity supply project. 

The country is also working on providing a comprehensive support package, which includes humanitarian and healthcare aid, as well as coordinating to ensure the continuity of assistance based on priorities set by the Syrian government.

Qatar has placed a clear emphasis on supporting the healthcare sector in Syria, including sending a medical delegation from the Qatari Red Crescent to perform specialized surgeries in Damascus, such as cardiac catheterization and correcting heart defects in children, alongside providing hospitals with the necessary medical supplies for these procedures.

During the Fifth Annual Medical Conference of the Syrian Medical Association in Qatar, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Doha on January 3, 2025, it was announced that an international medical conference would be held in Doha in April 2025, aimed at supporting and rebuilding Syria's healthcare system.

On March 4, 2025, Syrian Acting Minister of Health, Maher al-Sharaa, held discussions with the Charge d'Affaires of the Qatari Embassy in Syria, Khalifa Abdullah al Mahmoud al Sharif, on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector.

These Qatari efforts come after the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime left Syria's healthcare sector in a state of severe deterioration for years, with hospitals and medical centers suffering from a critical shortage of equipment, qualified personnel, and the malfunction of many essential medical devices.

Security Cooperation Efforts

In terms of security, Major General Mohammed Misfer al Shahwani, Deputy Commander of Qatar's Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), visited Damascus on February 10, 2025, and held a meeting with Syrian Interior Minister Ali Abdulrahman Keda.

During the meeting, the two officials discussed matters of mutual interest, focusing on cooperation and the development of bilateral relations in security fields.

One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the discussion of joint training plans between Syrian security forces and Qatari troops, with the possibility of sending Qatari experts to oversee rehabilitation operations.

The two sides also explored the potential for providing Syrian security agencies with modern equipment and technologies to enhance their capacity to maintain security and respond to crises, while underscoring the importance of regional security cooperation in addressing terrorism and organized crime threats.

Following the dissolution of Bashar al-Assad's army and security forces, observers assert that the new Syrian state is in urgent need of establishing a modern security infrastructure based on advanced technology, alongside training security personnel in contemporary methods of maintaining order, countering terrorism, and crisis management.

Qatar is among the first nations to extend a helping hand, offering the necessary expertise to assist the new Syrian state in strengthening its security capabilities.

As part of efforts to strengthen cooperation and exchange expertise between the two sides, the Qatari International Search and Rescue Group of the Lekhwiya Internal Security Force hosted members of the Syrian Civil Defence "White Helmets" in February 2025 for a special training program overseen by the group.

The program included a series of training courses and field exercises aimed at enhancing the Syrian Civil Defence's ability to respond to disasters and humanitarian crises, with intensive practical drills designed to improve the team's skills in search and rescue operations and handling emergency situations.

The training was conducted under a cooperation agreement signed by the Syrian Civil Defence Organization on January 20, 2025, with the International Search and Rescue Team of Lekhwiya, during a ceremony in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Alongside Turkiye, Qatar has been a key contributor to the operation of Damascus International Airport, providing a safe environment for international flights to Syria.

A Qatari delegation visited Syria two weeks after the fall of al-Assad, conducting an inspection tour at Damascus Airport. 

They offered technical observations and pledged rapid support to ensure the airport's safe operation in line with international aviation standards.

Qatar Airways was one of the first carriers to operate civilian flights into Damascus Airport.

Politically, Qatar continues to support the new Syrian state on the international stage, urging the global community to lift sanctions on Syria as soon as possible to prevent them from hindering the delivery of aid in various forms, as stated by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari on December 25, 2024.

Reuters reported that a Western diplomat, familiar with the plan for Qatari gas supplies to Syria, said the initiative is part of Qatar's ongoing efforts to secure political backing from Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, while providing tangible financial support to strengthen the position of Syria’s new leadership.

"They are keen to offer something in the end, even if it doesn't make a huge difference," the diplomat added.

Qatar has been exploring plans with the new Syrian state to provide funds for increasing public sector wages following the temporary lifting of certain U.S. sanctions in January 2025.

“Qatar is holding off providing Syria's new rulers with funds to increase public sector pay due to uncertainty over whether the transfers would breach U.S. sanctions, four sources said, a setback to efforts to revive the war-stricken economy,” Reuters reported.