Two companies owned by previously unknown figures have recently emerged in Syria’s business community, joining a clique of businessmen who have profited from or found opportunity in Syria’s wartime economy.

Production from Gulfsands Petroleum’s main asset in Syria remained at 20,000 barrels per day last year, according to its 2020 annual report in which the company said plans to return to the country continued “at pace”.

The Biden administration is seeking USD 125 million in economic assistance for Syria in its 2022 budget request to Congress, reversing a recent trend set by former President Donald Trump.

Despite intensive media campaigns encouraging Syrians to register for COVID-19 vaccines over the past month, take-up among the population appears to be modest and none of the various administrations in Syria have released official statistics on the progress of their vaccination drive.