Syria Fuel Price Hike Sparks Widest Unrest Since Assad's 2024 Fall

3 articles · Updated · OilPrice.com · Sep 14

Diesel prices jumped 40% to 175 Syrian pounds a liter on Saturday, and gasoline rose as much as 28%, triggering protests within 24 hours across key transport routes and towns.
Damascus-Aleppo highway blockades and burning tires on the road to Turkey marked the broadest unrest since Bashar al-Assad fell in December 2024; crude tanker convoys to refineries were also halted.
Syria's Energy Ministry called the increases temporary, blaming higher procurement costs as Russian supply tightened after Ukrainian attacks on refineries and Moscow's export curbs.
The squeeze is worsening because Syria produces about 102,000 barrels a day against demand of roughly 325,000, while the Baniyas refinery has shut for a three-month overhaul.
With 90% of Syrians below the poverty line, the fuel shock underscores how Syria's energy shortfall is feeding post-Assad instability even as Damascus pursues new domestic and regional supply routes.