In 2017, for the sixth year in a row, Syria’s gross domestic product declined, although at a slower pace than in previous years, while the government’s contribution fell significantly, official data show.

A company affiliated to Hayat Tahrir Al-Shaam (HTS) has monopolized the distribution of oil in areas under its control and sources its products from Europe.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has decided to reduce further the petrol it is allocating to individual car owners as shortages harden across Syria resulting in increased pressure on the currency.

Blom Bank has said that it would not return to Syria unless western sanctions are lifted, the most explicit statement yet on the reluctance of Lebanese banks to operate in the Syrian market.

The Ministry of Transport has cancelled exemptions that benefitted Saudi and Emirati trucks crossing Syria, dealing an additional blow to efforts aimed at restoring ties with the Gulf.