AMMAN, Jordan

Syria expressed its gratitude on Friday for Qatar's initiative to supply natural gas, describing it as crucial support to help address the country's ongoing energy challenges.

"The State of Qatar’s initiative calls for providing natural gas supplies to Syria through Jordanian territory, which will contribute to generating electricity at an initial rate of up to 400 megawatts, gradually increasing it to provide an additional two to four hours of operation,” said Syria's Oil and Mineral Resources Minister Ghiath Diab in an interview with Syria's official news agency SANA.

The Syrian minister added: “This initiative reflects the brotherly State of Qatar’s firm commitment to supporting the Syrian people during this important phase.”

Diab also noted that “the Qatari initiative comes at a time when Syria’s electricity sector is facing a severe production shortage due to gas and fuel shortages, negatively impacting citizens’ lives and hindering government efforts to improve energy infrastructure and create a favorable investment environment.”

“This initiative, provided by the Qatar Fund for Development, represents important support to address the challenges of the energy sector in Syria and enhances our ability to achieve stability and economic growth,” he added.

Diab thanked the “leadership and people of the brotherly State of Qatar for this generous initiative,” expressing his hope that “support efforts will continue and that joint cooperation between the two countries will be strengthened in various fields.”

On Thursday, Qatar announced its initiative to supply Syria with natural gas through Jordan to contribute to electricity generation.

Syria has been facing a severe electricity shortage, with power being available for only about four hours a day in most areas.

Syria had previously relied heavily on oil supplies from Iran for electricity generation, but these supplies have been disrupted since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.