Talks Open With the Bank
Syria's Ministry of Energy held talks with the World Bank on 9 June 2026 to widen cooperation on rebuilding the country's electricity sector. The meeting brought together the deputy minister for water and electricity, Osama Abu Zeid, a World Bank energy official, and the head of the Syrian Electricity Company, Omar Shaqrouq.
The participants said the goal was to speed up work on the power sector and to improve the delivery of services to households across the country.
Infrastructure on the Table
The discussion centered on plans to develop the technical, administrative, and financial infrastructure of the electricity system. The two sides examined how international technical support could raise the efficiency of the grid and of the institutions that operate it.
No financing figures, sector targets, or timelines were announced, leaving the eventual scope of any World Bank involvement undefined for now.
Training the Workforce
The meeting also covered institutional training programs and the building of skills among the sector's staff. Officials treated workforce capacity as a requirement for keeping any modernized network running reliably rather than as a secondary concern.
A Cautious Re-engagement
Direct contact between Syrian energy authorities and the World Bank marks a step toward restoring ties with international lenders. The early emphasis on technical, administrative, and financial systems points to groundwork aimed at preparing the sector rather than launching immediate construction.
The cooperation was presented as part of a wider government effort to rehabilitate essential service sectors and to develop electricity networks in support of economic activity, with improved service to citizens cited as the intended result.