Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa issued Presidential Decrees No. 190 and 191 on Sunday, appointing new heads to two of the country’s most influential economic institutions: the Syrian Petroleum Corporation and the Syrian Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Under Decree No. 190, Maher Khalil al‑Hassan has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Syrian Petroleum Corporation, succeeding Yousef Qablawi. Qablawi’s tenure had come under sustained criticism, most recently after a contaminated gasoline crisis that damaged vehicles across several provinces and intensified scrutiny of the fuel sector’s management.
Decree No. 191 appoints Omar Samer al‑Halabi as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Syrian Sovereign Wealth Fund, replacing Mazen Salhani, who currently serves as Minister of Tourism. The decree also designates al‑Halabi as Economic Affairs Advisor to the Syrian Presidency and grants him membership in the Supreme Council for Economic Development, established under Decree No. 115 of 2025. He will assume the chairmanship of the Sovereign Wealth Fund—created by Decree No. 250 of 2025—while all other board members remain in their posts.
Al‑Halabi’s appointment coincides with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs’ renewal of its sanctions listing for Ibrahim Sukkariyeh (formerly known as Abu Maryam al‑Ostrali), the Director‑General of the Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Maher Khalil al‑Hassan
Born in Hama in 1986, Maher Khalil al‑Hassan holds a degree in petroleum engineering from the Faculty of Petrochemical Engineering at Homs University, earned in 2010. His professional background spans supply management, corporate administration and domestic trade.
Al‑Hassan worked in production operations at the Hayan Petroleum Company from 2011 to 2013. He later supervised oil fields in liberated areas east of Homs and managed public services in the southern region until late 2016. In 2017, he became Director of the Authority for the Management of International and Local Organizations.
Between 2018 and Syria’s liberation, al‑Hassan served as Deputy Minister of Economy and Resources in the Syrian Salvation Government. He subsequently held the post of Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection in the interim government of Mohammad al‑Bashir, before being appointed Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry for Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection in April 2025.
Omar Samer al‑Halabi
Omar Samer al‑Halabi holds a Master of Business Administration with honors from IE Business School. He has completed executive education programs in public policy, macroeconomics, innovative strategy and innovation at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fudan Business School and the London School of Economics.
Al‑Halabi is a partner at KPMG Middle East, where he leads the Economic Advisory and Public Policy practice of one of the world’s “Big Four” professional services firms. His work focuses on corporate strategy and policy design aimed at advancing public‑sector reform, economic diversification and sustainable industrial development across the region.
With more than two decades of experience advising public and private institutions, al‑Halabi specializes in economic development, trade facilitation, investment attraction, industrial localization and socio‑economic impact analysis. Before joining KPMG, he worked with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and spent nearly ten years at Johnson Controls.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
